When you’re trying to solve a problem or work on something creative, you can find yourself stuck in a rut. While it can be tempting to try to craft a solution straight away, being patient could be the key to incubating successful ideas.
Indeed, a September 2025 article from the Guardian notes that one of the marvellous properties of the brain is its ability to continue working unconsciously when the conscious mind has moved on. In other words, leaving a problem to continue with your day could lead to better ideas overall.
The article explains that English psychologist Graham Wallas divided the creative process into four phases:
- Preparation: This is where you’d set your goals and gather knowledge.
- Incubation: Here, Wallas argues you need to let your unconscious mind do the work. While you’re completing tasks, your brain will be bringing together different pieces of information.
- Illumination: This is the “eureka” moment when your unconscious mind has come up with a solution.
- Verification: In this step, you take a critical look at what you’ve come up with to understand if it’ll work in practice.
One of the challenges of following this process is in the incubation step. You might feel like you need to create a solution right away, or find yourself pondering the problem and going around in circles. Although it may feel productive, stepping back can be more beneficial.
Letting your ideas incubate could lead to an initial concept turning into an idea that’s well developed.
However, it can take days or even years for the incubation process to complete, so it can be frustrating when you’ve got a deadline looming or a challenge that’s playing on your mind.
Here are some ways you can let your mind wander and improve how you incubate ideas.
1. Take part in physical activity
Studies show that activity can boost your creativity. You don’t have to plan an exhausting gym session; a walk could be just as useful. In fact, to incubate ideas, an activity you can complete without focusing on it could be perfect, as it allows your mind to drift and work through the problem.
If you can, try visiting a new environment too. Unfamiliar places can enhance divergent thinking and get you looking at challenges from a new perspective. Try varying the route of your usual walk or attend a different exercise class.
2. Schedule breaks
Whether you’re at work or are completing a project at home, segment your task into sessions of deep work and breaks. Taking a step away from work could allow you to return to a problem with fresh eyes and allow your brain to organise information, and potentially establish new connections.
Taking a break might mean you spend less time on a task, but you could be far more productive as a result.
3. Be creative
Getting creative, especially if it involves getting out of your comfort zone, could help you solve problems in a new way. So, find different creative activities that you enjoy and make them part of your routine, such as sketching nature or joining a theatre group.
4. Keep track of your ideas
Have you ever had an idea you thought was good and you wanted to pursue, only to forget what it was when you returned to it? It happens to everyone, so keep a notebook to write your ideas down as soon as possible.
Even a half-formed idea is worth noting down. Writing it down could help you articulate your thoughts and link together different pieces of information that weren’t obviously connected at first.
5. Create a network
Being around creative and interesting people can encourage new ideas and offer you a new perspective that could change the way you approach a challenge. So, creating a network could be an excellent way to turn initial thoughts into successful ideas.
A group of people you can speak to without fear of judgment can also provide valuable feedback on your ideas, which might result in them taking a different direction. So, while solitude to let your mind wander is important, balance this with meeting people to inject some fresh energy into your ideas.