Neuroscientist Jung-Beeman has spent the past 15 years searching the human mind to understandwhat exactly happens in our brain when we get the “eureka” moment, that sudden clairvoyance that leads certain subjects to solve a problem. And has discovered thatwe tend to solve problems better if we are in a good mood. The explanation is very simple: positive mood sets the stage for activity.anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that is always activated moments before having an idea.
Get distractedJung adds, it also helps. History is full of examples that confirm this. Archimedes shouted his famous¡Eureka!by soaking in a bathtub filled with water. The well-known 19th-century mathematician Henri Poincaré developed his main theories the moment he was getting on a bus. And the Nobel Prize in Physics Richard Feynman liked to go to a bar, ask for a7-Up and, if inspiration strikes, write down the equations on a napkin.
Nothing about this is casual. The apparent “sudden” understanding is actually the fruit of abrain work connecting ideasthat starts much earlier than we think. Of course, everything happens in the unconscious plane. This is why neuroscientists recommend that,to make complex decisions, we distract the conscious brain with mechanical activities such as solving a puzzle. It is what the Dutch Ap Dijksterhuis calls the “deliberation-without-attention hypothesis”, commonly known as theconsultation with the pillow.
Office toys
Aware that creatives need to play,many dotcom companies have incorporated leisure areas into their facilities. The Google Spain offices, for example, have a room with foosball tables, targets, comfortable armchairs and video games so that their employees can take a break. But what if your company has space limitations? That’s where companies like Klear Gear and Office Playground come into play, specializing in so-calledoffice toysoffice toys, in English). Their offerings range from the classic stress ball to the rocket pen that goes off at the push of a button, the drum set at the touch of your fingers and the trio of mini-gangsters dressed in pure Italian mafia style who you can “knock down” with his pistol during times of maximum stress. You can even create a replica of your office with the Cubes and become (if you want) the boss.
