"Go for a run, watch a film, try to entertain someone else's baby: anything that involves pottering about in an undemanding yet still vaguely engaged way, which absolutely couldn't be classed as work but isn't totally vegetative either. It may not be the productivity hack any go-getter wants to hear, but it's surprising how often a spell of aimless noodling around frees an otherwise overworked human brain to make the kind of lateral mental leap that helps everything fall into place."
"After watching a scene in Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia where one character explains chaos theory to another, Baum had his own personal eureka moment: what if this mathematical concept, used to describe complex systems that may seem haphazard but have a hidden underlying pattern to them, could also explain the otherwise puzzling way in which cancer grows and spreads? The result of that one stray thought as the interval curtain rose was an innovation in chemotherapy, and a gratifying rise in survival rates."
Undemanding, partly engaging activities can free the mind to make lateral connections that solve problems. Small tasks such as folding laundry, stirring a risotto or watching a film create mental space for aimless noodling that often triggers sudden insight. An eminent surgeon experienced such a moment after seeing chaos theory explained in a play; that connection inspired an innovation in chemotherapy and improved survival rates. Accidental breakthroughs frequently arise from stepping away from focused effort rather than from relentless striving. Allowing the brain permission to switch off and relax can therefore be a productive strategy for creative problem solving.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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