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I’m amazed by the number of times I’ve woken from a good night’s sleep with a clear answer to a specific problem — no conscious thinking required. That could be the opening sentence to a writing assignment I didn’t know how to start, the best way to overcome a disagreement with a coworker, or how to approach a crucial conversation with a family member.

It might not make sense, but the truth is our subconscious mind can do a lot of heavy lifting (if not most of it) when it comes to solving problems. For example, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, and David Ogilvy were all big proponents of regularly resting their active minds with lots of sleep, long walks, bird watching, and frequent vacations that allowed their subconscious to sort out challenges without their actively thinking about it.

How can this be done? The latest thinking on subconscious problem solving emphasizes the following: keeping your thoughts separated in different environments (i.e. bedroom for sleep, desk for work, etc) and writing down your problems so your subconscious can recall them later. Additionally, it helps to go on outdoor walks as both forward momentum and nature encourage our unconscious minds to sort out our deepest concerns. Lastly, get a good night’s sleep, which is just as good for our cognition as it is physical energy.

How would have thunk it?