Why do you start reviewing a fight you didn't win during the day as soon as you take a shower?

Review expert: Yin Tielun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Neurology, Airport Branch, Peking University Third Hospital

In today's fast-paced working life, the most relaxing thing to do when you get home from work every day is to take a comfortable hot bath .

People often say that taking a bath can wash away a day's fatigue. In the misty water vapor, our bodies enjoy the comfort brought by hot water. At the same time, our brains are also undergoing a relaxation process.

Source: pixabay

The benefits of taking a bath are far more than just relaxation. When we encounter difficult problems in our daytime work, we can often come up with new ideas and new thoughts in the short ten minutes of taking a bath.

I believe you must have had this experience: those problems, difficulties, things you can't figure out during the day, etc., often suddenly become clear when you take a shower at night.

So, is this really the result of taking a bath?

Source: pixabay

An interesting survey released by a well-known bathroom brand company showed that nearly 70% of the respondents had new ideas while bathing, nearly 30% of the respondents had bursts of inspiration while showering, and 40% of the respondents believed that showering is very useful for innovative thinking.

The source of inspiration - "the brain's resting default network"

Creative thinking is a sporadic process of insight after characterization transformation. When it comes to the burst of creative thinking, we have to mention the resting default network in the human brain.

The brain's Default Mode Network has been proposed for 20 years. Scientists have been studying the brain mostly using magnetic resonance imaging. There is a huge and complex network in the brain, which accounts for up to 80% of our brain capacity. It is active when the subject does not receive any tasks. This network is the Brain's Default Mode Network.

The default network of mice, monkeys, and humans (left to right)

Source: Annual Reviews

The brain's resting default network is closely related to creative thinking, and a very important factor in stimulating this network is to daydream while performing a single, repetitive activity.

When we use logical thinking in our daily work, the prefrontal lobe of the brain is more likely to play a role. When we perform single and repetitive activities, the activity of the prefrontal lobe of the brain that performs logical thinking will decrease, and the brain's resting default network will be greatly activated. It is good at reorganizing and sorting out the complex information stored in the brain to create new ideas.

Bathing is a single repetitive activity. Simple, patterned behaviors do not require excessive concentration. Therefore, when we bathe at night, we often unconsciously review the problems we encountered during the day, and even come up with good ideas to solve work problems. This is the reason.

The default mode network is more active when the human brain is "empty"

Source: Annual Reviews

Although the brain's resting default network can function more actively in a relaxed state, studies have shown that the emergence of creative thinking usually requires focused and serious logical thinking. Therefore, simply "slacking off" will not lead to good ideas out of thin air.

Other factors that contribute to flashes of inspiration

Taking a bath is a good opportunity for a "flash of inspiration", but the reason is far more than the activation of the brain's resting default network. There is another very important reason why we can come up with new ideas in the bath - the secretion of dopamine .

Dopamine is the most abundant catecholamine neurotransmitter in the brain. It is closely related to creativity. The production and absorption of dopamine can greatly enhance the brain's creative thinking.

When people take a shower, they enjoy the hot water from head to toe, and their muscles and body and mind are relaxed. The pleasant mood at this time will promote the secretion of dopamine. At this time, the secretion and absorption of dopamine in the brain will greatly increase the ability of the human brain to produce creative thinking.

It's not just taking a bath. Other things that can inspire us include:

A comfortable environment , especially one that can relax the body and mind. There is a type of brain wave in the brain, called alpha (α) waves, which only exist when the brain is relaxed. Studies have shown that the burst of alpha waves is usually accompanied by the emergence of inspiration, and external assistance can also promote and strengthen alpha waves in the brain, such as playing brainwave music;

The third row is a simplified diagram of the alpha wave frequency

Source: Psychology Space psychspace.com

Keep proper exercise. Exercise can promote the activity of the thalamus. An active thalamus can correctly and reasonably filter information and promote the expansion of thinking. At the same time, exercise can also promote the secretion of dopamine, which is also a major condition for improving creativity.

Everyone longs for the moment of inspiration, and it is not difficult to get this opportunity. Let your wild thoughts wander in the hot water of the bath.