In my house I am renowned for obscenely long showers. I can sometimes be in the shower for an hour and half. That’s not always because I’m having a difficult shit, or playing candy crush, or masturbating. The shower is where I oil my brain.

I saw something on TV. They did a test. They got 3 subjects and gave them a creativity test. They had to come up with as many uses for a brick as possible. Then they stopped them. One was told to sit and do nothing for two minutes, one was told to do a demanding task for two minutes, and one was told to do a brainless task for two minutes. Then they did the test again.

They found that the guy who sat doing nothing couldn’t really come up with any more uses for the brick – despite having lots of time to think about it. The guy doing the demanding task didn’t do too well either. But the guy who did the menial task came up with a shitload more uses.

This confirmed something I’ve thought about for a long time. When I get out of bed I code for a bit and read all my emails. I fill my brain with problems. Then I have a shower and my brain works out all the problems. I find myself planning stuff really clearly. My brain is still working, but it’s not using it’s full capacity. So when I get to work it’s all ready to go.

There’s lots of these ‘working shit out’ activities you can do throughout the day. Here’s some that I do.

• Wash the dishes
• Mow the lawn
• Do some DIY
• Wash your car
• Vacuum
• Make a coffee

Keep your brain well oiled.