How to Finely Tune Your Brain into a Content Idea Machine

More isn’t always the answer

At some point, we’ve all had a showdown with writer’s block.

It’s gut-wrenching to watch our hard-fought writing hours go to waste whilst staring at the blank screen. And the more we delete and re-write that first line, the more desperate we get.

But the truth is, a lot of (good) content ideas don’t come whilst trying to think of content ideas.

Rather, it depends a lot on what we do away from the screen.

Here’s how to prime your brain to smash through your writing roadblocks, and always have a stream of ideas:

Information overload.

Most of us are permanently plugged in.

• We can’t go for a walk without a podcast.
• We can’t wait in line without refreshing our feed.
• We can’t even enjoy a meal without a Youtube video.

Convinced that all idle time is a waste of time, we push ourselves to be more productive, more optimised, more multitasked.

We’re so tuned into other people’s voices, that we’re tuned out of our own thoughts.

In theory, it makes sense to think the more data we cram in, the more fuel we’ll have for ideas. But not when we stuff our brains at every waking hour of the day.

If you asked any gym-goer, they’d tell you that muscles don’t grow in the gym, they grow when they’re at rest.

Could the same be for our brain when nurturing creativity for writing?

Your brain’s magic mode.

We all have revolutionary ideas in the shower.

But why here of all places?

Because the shower is one of the only places where you can’t take your phone, AirPods or book with you. You have nothing to do, nothing to watch, nothing to listen to, and above all, you’re relaxed.

Now auto-pilot takes the wheel and your mind has the freedom to wander, when suddenly, it clicks…

Aha! I’ve got it!

The lightbulb moment gives you exactly what you needed:

• that killer opening line
• the missing link between parts
• your next article topic

This little work of magic is called the incubation effect.

You see, just because we stop focusing on our writing roadblock, doesn’t mean our brain does. Behind the scenes, it’s working away to match remote ideas and make associations.

Then out of nowhere… ping!

This happens when the brain shifts from its focused analytical mode, into its Diffuse Mode: the relaxed daydreaming state when it has time to percolate all the information in the background (just like in the shower).

In a 2019 study, researchers asked a group of writers and physicists to keep a diary for 2 weeks. They had to write down:

• their most significant idea of each day
• what they were doing when they came up with the idea
• how important the idea was (the aha factor)

They discovered that 20% of their most significant ideas came during this Diffuse Mode mind-wandering state. And, that these same ideas were more likely to be aha moments, in other words, a groundbreaking step to solving a problem.

With this in mind, it seemed like a no-brainer to tap more into Diffuse Mode.

So that’s exactly what I did.

How I tune more into Diffuse Thinking.

I don’t take 5 showers a day.

The key has been stepping out of the busy trap. It was hard at first, but I finally realised that every second of the day doesn’t have to be productive — and that there’s nothing to feel bad about.

If we schedule more time for relaxing, or for less demanding activities, then we can let our brain work its magic.

Here are 3 ways I tune more into diffuse thinking to unlock new creative potential:

#1. Use my headphones less

At first, I felt naked without them.

I was frustrated about not optimising my daily tasks and thought it would be a complete waste of time.

But then everything changed.

To my surprise, I discovered that disconnecting my brain from the information flow actually helped. Now I had the mental space for my diffused thinking to spring into action.

In this free-flowing state, I started coming up with solutions for my writing woes.

And for the record, I haven’t gone cold turkey. I still enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks. But for me, the key has been balance.

#2. Harness the power of movement

Distance running has improved my life in many ways.

But, what I didn’t expect was a massive boost in the clarity and organisation of my writing.

Since I turned the blasting music off, all I hear is the steady thud of my feet on the tarmac, my breathing, and the soothing sounds of nature.

It became a form of meditation.

Combine this with the body’s shoot of endorphins and endocannabinoids, and the creative floodgates burst open. So much so, I have to bring my phone along to record voice memos when the inspirational lightning strikes.

But, exercise isn’t one-size-fits-all, so be sure to play around and find what works for you.

Here’s my formula for you to get an idea:

• Do at least half an hour (for me, it takes 20mins to kick-in)
• Maintain my heart rate ~60–80% of my age-adjusted maximum heart rate (if I push too hard, I get exhausted).
• Run outside (it works best in wide open spaces)

You’ll know when you’ve hit the sweet spot because you’ll have ideas flying at you from all directions.

#3. Catch my drowsy inspiration.

That’s it! I can’t wait to get to work on that tomorrow. (Me, the night before I forget a breakthrough idea)

Sleep onset is our drowsy limbo state between being asleep and being awake. During this, our brains become fertile ground for creativity.

In one study, participants had to solve maths problems, but with a catch… there was a hidden rule which helped solve the problems faster. Then during a rest interval, a group of participants spent time in sleep onset.

The results showed that time spent in sleep onset nearly tripled the chances of participants finding the hidden rule… Not a bad reward for literally sleeping on the job.

Now, I pay special attention to my thoughts in and around sleep.

Whilst I stare at the ceiling, not wanting to get out of bed to go to work, my mind often comes up with a key solution related to what I’ve been thinking about the last few days.

And no matter what, I always write them down.

The last word : Strike a balance

The solution isn’t throwing away our headphones either.

For me, podcasts and audiobooks still play a big role in learning and idea generation.

But if you’re cramming every second of downtime with a podcast and still struggling with writing roadblocks, maybe more information isn’t what you need…

You need more space for creativity to flourish.

Instead, try scheduling more time to relax, unplug yourself from the busy trap, and sit with your own thoughts as they percolate away.

If you do this, I’m sure you’ll have ideas coming thick and fast and writer’s block will be a thing of the past.

Hi, I’m Anthony. If you liked this story and want more sent directly to you every Tuesday, you can subscribe to receive them here.