#ThinkfullyHabit: Get slightly tipsy
Many of you may intuitively agree that the best ideas can often come from time in the pub, rather than time at work. However, before you down the bottle, there is a clear tipping point - we’re talking a small glass of wine rather than several.
In 2012, researchers conducted a controlled experiment that compared slightly tipsy individuals with sober individuals. They found that those who were slightly tipsy solved puzzles more quickly, solved more of them, and “were more likely to perceive their solutions as the result of a sudden insight,” compared to those individuals who had no alcohol.*
“It may be that the main effect of the grain or the grape on the creative personality is that necessary sense of newness and freshness, that feeling that the world of sense and feeling can be grasped.”
WHY?
In some ways, the conscious mind can get in the way of creativity because too much cognitive focus can hamper new and novel ideas. One of the effects of alcohol is to lighten the grip on cognitive control and our conscious mind. Alcohol may loosen our focussed attention and therefore free us up to find more creative solutions to problems in life and work.
“Being too focused can blind you to novel possibilities, and a broader, more diffuse or more flexible attentional state may be needed for creative solutions to emerge.”
Having a drink usually involves being outside of the typical work environment and being in more informal settings, which can also play a part (good news also for non-drinkers). It’s a good reason to organise time away from the usual work environment for Away Days or more routinely for team lunches or group meetings. Overall, it's fair to say, a change in environment, coupled with a small drink, could have a big impact.