Boost creativity by running thought experiments every morning

You wake before sunrise and slip into a quiet room. No phone notifications, no rush of email—just the gentle hum of early morning. You sit in your favorite chair, cup of coffee in hand, and hold a single question in your mind. Maybe it’s a thorny work problem or an ambition you’ve tucked away. For 20 minutes, you let thoughts drift in and out, writing down perceivable solutions and wild fantasies alike.

In that stillness, your brain shifts into a different mode. Research calls this the default-mode network—your mental sandbox where unexpected connections spark. While your conscious mind relaxes, your subconscious is busy crafting analogies, making cross-disciplinary links, and nudging you toward “aha” moments.

I once spent a morning sitting by the window, letting my focus roam from writing prompts to half-remembered dreams. An idea surfaced about using a cereal bowl as a teaching prop—it seemed absurd at first. But that intersected with a recent talk on quantitative literacy, and the next week I redesigned a lesson around breakfast cereals. The changes landed better than I could have planned.

Thought experiments aren’t daydreams—they’re deliberate incubations. By giving your mind space, you cultivate creativity, reduce stress, and establish a habit of inquiry. Even 15 minutes can yield insights that reshape your day.

You carve out a small, sacred slot in the morning to cradle a single question. You let your thoughts drift naturally, writing down every fleeting idea without judgment. After 20 minutes, you review your notes and select one kernel to pursue—a research link, a sketch, or a quick prototype. Keep this ritual daily, and you’ll turn idle reverie into a powerhouse of original solutions. Give it a try tomorrow morning.