Did You Know? Shower Thoughts Are Proven to Boost Creative Ideas

Running out of ideas? Try taking a shower.

It might sound unexpected, but research supports this simple tip for boosting creativity. Cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman PhD conducted a study commissioned by Hansgrohe, a leading bathroom brand, revealing that a significant majority of people—around 72%—come up with fresh ideas while showering.

Richard Grohe, Deputy CEO of Hansgrohe SE, explained that the combination of water’s soothing spray and the calming nature of the shower routine helps clear the mind and spark new thinking. The peaceful, private environment encourages the brain to wander and opens the door to creative insights and daydreams.

So if you’re looking for a natural way to refresh your mind and generate ideas, stepping into the shower might be exactly what you need. This simple habit could become a key part of your creative process in 2025 and beyond.

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Shower thoughts: What are they, exactly?

Even before Kaufman’s study, people have long picked up the concept of . In fact, Reddit has its own subreddit dedicated to “sharing those miniature epiphanies you have that highlight the oddities within the familiar.”

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In the Showerthoughts subreddit, people post all sorts of ideas — from crazy to profound (but mostly both). To give you a picture of how this online community actually works, here are the top posts of all time, as of writing:

• “Whoever created the tradition of not seeing the bride in the wedding dress beforehand saved countless husbands everywhere from hours of dress shopping and will forever be a hero to all men.” — Yorkshire45

• “We laugh at dogs getting excited when they hear a bark on TV, but if [the] TV was a nonstop stream of unintelligible noises and then someone suddenly spoke to you in your language, you’d be pretty […] startled too.” — Biles

• “When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.” — zjb55446

The genius continue as you scroll down the subreddit. As you read along, you might even find one or two thoughts you resonate with. 

Also read: FYI, Those Useless Emails in Your Inbox Are Actually Bad for the Environment

Plausibly speaking, Showerthoughts is a mere microcosm of the rest of the world. This shows that every human has creative potential, as long as we take mindful showers regularly. So whether you’re gearing up for your next meeting or thinking of what to do for your quarantine project, remember to take a shower first.

All images credited to isuaneye via Canva Pro.