--- title: Science Finally Figured Out How To Beat Writer's Block description: A new study from researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel suggests that a clear mind—free of too much chatter—is a more creative one. canonical: https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-01T14:56:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T22:53:21.573Z article:section: Health og:title: Stuck on a Problem? Let Your Mind Wander, Researchers Say og:description: Stuck on a problem? Here's your answer og:url: https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock health alzheimers og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Stuck on a Problem? Let Your Mind Wander, Researchers Say twitter:description: Stuck on a problem? Here's your answer twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Stuck on a Problem? Let Your Mind Wander by [Jessica Migala / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jessica Migala / Health.com Contributor Jul 1, 2016 2:56 PM UTC  Illustration by Sydney Rae Hass for TIME by [Jessica Migala / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jessica Migala / Health.com Contributor Jul 1, 2016 2:56 PM UTC There’s a reason some people say they get their best ideas when they’re running. A new study from researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and published in the journal _Psychological Science,_ suggests that a clear mind—free of too much chatter—is a [more creative one](http://pss.sagepub.com/content/27/6/776). In three different experiments, about 20 people completed the same free association task. (They had to quickly name the first thing that popped into their head after they heard a series of target words.) But in each experiment, the researchers manipulated the “cognitive load” of the participants with various additional tasks. For example, some people were asked to remember a string of two digits (a low cognitive load), while others had to alphabetize the first three letters of each target word (a high cognitive load). **RELATED:** [**12 Reasons to Stop Multitasking Now!**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20707868,00.html) What the researchers found was that the participants with lower cognitive loadsgave more creative responses. “When you reduce mental \[stress\], people have a greater tendency to avoid the ‘obvious solution’ and instead access unique thoughts in their mind,” study co-author and PhD student Shira Baror explained in an email to _Health_. In other words, when your brain is quieter, it can afford to “put aside its stored, immediate, well-earned associations and take a more interesting path of more original associations.” The study’s findings are in line with prior research, says Jonathan Schooler, PhD, a professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2012 he led a study that showed the benefits of letting your mind slow down and wander: His team’s work suggested that when you’re trying to solve a problem, you may get the best creative boost from [engaging in a non-demanding task](http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/08/31/0956797612446024.abstract). Think taking a shower, doing light chores—or you know, going for a [good sweaty run](http://www.health.com/style/cooling-workout-clothes). **RELATED:** [**How Exercise Makes You More Creative**](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20412092,00.html) In fact, that’s exactly what Baror suggests when you’re stuck in a rut. “[Ruminating](http://news.health.com/2015/04/21/3-common-anxiety-traps-and-how-to-avoid-them/) on the same problem, especially when you’re under stress or tension, will not yield creative solutions.” Instead, she says, literally walk away, and give your mind the chance to make those seemingly random, unexpected turns that lead to breakthroughs. _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/mind-body/quiet-mind-creativity-boost) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://Health.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/"},"headline":"Stuck on a Problem? Let Your Mind Wander","datePublished":"2016-07-01T14:56:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:53:21.573Z","description":"This trick may help with writer's block","url":"https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/","keywords":["Research"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Migala / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1527b72ca1ddfbc/6988604b524fc0f68ddf4298/alzheimers-health-illo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock health alzheimers","caption":"TIME.com stock health alzheimers","creditText":"Illustration by Sydney Rae Hass for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4384807/beat-writers-block-clear-mind/","name":"Stuck on a Problem? Let Your Mind Wander"}}]}] ```