Shower Thoughts.

Why is it that my best thoughts and ideas come to me in the shower?

This morning I was thinking about 2 or 3 blogs that I need to write. Thoughts were flowing, and as I kept thinking away I realized that if I wanted to write any of these things down I better get out of the shower.

Has that ever happened to you?

If I’m indeed the only one, maybe this will inspire you to do some more thinking in the bath or shower.

Seriously though, so many thoughts and ideas happen while I’m showering. I think this happens for a few reasons. For starters, I’m usually alone in the shower (like 99% of the time over the past 6 years of marriage and 100% before then), and because I’m mostly introverted I enjoy that time. Showers are also soothing. As the water is flowing, so are my thoughts. One more reason I feel this happens is because I usually shower right before bed, right after a workout, or almost right after I wake up. Sometimes, in the early mornings, thoughts and ideas don’t come to me as often because my mind is still waking up, but if I’ve been awake for a while I’ve most likely already had a few things on my mind.

Even in this moment, as I took a break to eat some of my oatmeal, I realized that the solitude of the shower is an outlet for me. Being alone with my thoughts creates space to stretch them and follow them where they lead. So, in truth, it isn’t that the shower is some magical creative space; rather, that just so happens to be the most time I’m alone most days.

If I were patient enough to test this, my theory would be that I’m more apt to creativity and “ideating” in the shower because I did not spend any time doing so either that day or the previous day. Other times, my whole day is full of inspiration and creativity. I mean, this blog was almost entitled “Toilet Talk” because the other day I used my son’s step stool as a desk and wrote in the bathroom for about 10 minutes.

Whatever your outlet may be for creativity and thinking, my challenge to us today is to be more aware of how and when that happens most regularly and to take full advantage of that time and space to engage our creative minds.