The focused mode is primarily centered in the prefrontal cortex—the front part of your brain. The diffuse mode, on the other hand, involves a network that connects more widespread areas of the brain.9 The widespread nature of diffuse thinking is why it is often related to the unexpected connections that lie at the heart of creativity.10 Activities involving the diffuse mode, like walking, riding a bus, relaxing, or falling asleep, are more likely to lead you to creative ideas that arise from seeming nowhere.11
