top of page

How To Get Creative With Mind Wandering – Let Your Mind Wander And Watch The Magic Happen

May 20, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Jul 7, 2023

Written by: Johanna Herbst, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Johanna Herbst Brainz Magazine

Walking around with no agenda and being surprised at times where your mind ends up? That’s mind wandering in a nutshell. When did you let your mind take a break last time?

Young businessman sitting with hands behind head in office

I only started doing it again recently after reading “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari (amazing book!!). I could very much sympathize with Johann Hari when he shared that he did not waste time on mind wandering and kept an agenda at all times instead. At least listen to a podcast and learn something on your way to the supermarket. That was me as well!!


Mind wandering matters: it helps us make sense of things in our lives and get clarity on how we feel about them. If we let our minds wander, then our experiences are processed, organized, and analyzed. New random connections are made, a prerequisite for creativity. I guess it explains why we have some of the best ideas taking a shower or sitting on the toilet.


“Be efficient, maximize your time, and get things done!” That’s what kept me pushing and my mind busy… The notation of creativity triggered me since I consider myself a creative person. If mind wandering allows me to become more creative, I will give it a chance.


I started going for walks without trying to solve a problem. No agenda whatsoever and – spoiler alert – it feels great!! It gives me peace of mind to relax and not be “on” all the time. In German, we would call it “balm for the soul.” An guess what! I also had some creative ideas that just popped up in my mind… A true WIN WIN!!


When will you let your mind be free next time??


Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Executive Contributor Johanna Herbst

Johanna Herbst, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Johanna Herbst is a leading leadership & career coach and management consultant with 15+ years of international experience in coaching, management consulting, entrepreneurship, and corporate finance. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and is trained as a certified coach.


Johanna's superpower is making things happen with lots of energy, compassion and a smile. As the CEO and founder of Delygate, she works with individuals and organizations offering them leadership & career coaching and management consulting services. Her mission is to move organizations and individuals forward by creating the conditions for reaching their goals. With Johanna's help, her clients transform towards confidence, focus, and fulfillment which allows them to be the best version of themselves and have impact in the world.


Johanna is also the host of the “Reaching your Goals” podcast. Reaching your Goals is a career-focused podcast where Johanna sits down with inspiring individuals to find out what it takes to reach your goals. You can expect lots of energy, compassion, and candid discussions with everyone from business leaders, academics, coaches, or entrepreneurs on what it really takes to get one step closer to living a fulfilled professional life.


Johanna is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and is fluent in English and German.


Contact Johanna for:


Executive Coaching | Career Coaching | Leadership Trainings | Project Management | Workshop Facilitation | Moderation | Motivational Speaking

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

Article Image

Why I Don’t Want My Sound Bath Students to Sound Like Me

If everyone who trained with me went away and created exactly the same sound baths I do, I’m not sure I would consider that a success. That might sound strange coming from someone who teaches practitioners.

Article Image

Why Self-Regulation Needs Friction, Not Just Willpower

We have spent the last two decades engineering friction out of everyday life. One-click purchasing. Autoplay. Instant replies expected within minutes. Every app on your phone has been designed by...

Article Image

Why Are Women So Exhausted? The Hidden Mental Load of Being Everything to Everyone

You can have a full night’s sleep and still wake up exhausted. Not because you didn’t sleep. Because your brain never really clocked out. You’re thinking about the meeting at 10, the groceries you...

Article Image

Breast Cancer and the Nurturer’s Paradox and When Being Needed Becomes an Identity

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and much of the conversation quite rightly centres on screening, diagnosis, treatment and survival. I want to take the conversation somewhere less commonly...

Article Image

Acupuncture for Car Accident Injuries, an Important Non-Surgical Treatment

Motor vehicle collisions often leave people with more than bruises. Even when scans show no fracture that needs surgery, many patients develop whiplash-associated disorder (WAD), neck and low-back...

Article Image

3 Lessons From My 60-Year-Old Client That Many Fitness Programmes Ignore

In a recent session with one of my clients, she told me her smart scale showed that, since we began training together, she’s lost 3lb of fat but gained 4lb of muscle. For someone in her 60s, this is...

Why I Don’t Want My Sound Bath Students to Sound Like Me

Why Self-Regulation Needs Friction, Not Just Willpower

Why Are Women So Exhausted? The Hidden Mental Load of Being Everything to Everyone

Breast Cancer and the Nurturer’s Paradox and When Being Needed Becomes an Identity

Acupuncture for Car Accident Injuries, an Important Non-Surgical Treatment

3 Lessons From My 60-Year-Old Client That Many Fitness Programmes Ignore

5 Essential Steps for Leadership Growth

Why Leadership Decisions Can End Before the Pressure Does

How to Own the Room Before You Say a Single Word

bottom of page