How to Remember Your Shower Thoughts

Last week I had the perfect opening line for a blog post. It came to me mid-shampoo—funny, punchy, exactly right. By the time I was toweling off, it was gone. Completely. I spent ten minutes staring at a blank screen trying to remember it. Nothing.

If you've ever lost a brilliant idea to the shower drain, you're not alone. It happens to everyone, and there's a reason for it.

Why Your Best Ideas Come in the Shower

When you're in the shower, your brain enters what neuroscientists call "diffuse mode." You're relaxed, there's no screen demanding your attention, and your mind is free to wander. This is when your brain makes unexpected connections—the kind that feel like sudden insights.

The problem? You're wet, your hands are covered in soap, and your phone is across the room. By the time you can write anything down, the thought has evaporated.

Solutions That Don't Really Work

Waterproof notepads: These exist, and they're clever. But writing in the shower is awkward, and honestly—who wants to interrupt a good shower to scribble notes?

Repeating it until you get out: "Remember the thing, remember the thing, remember the thing..." This works until your brain gets distracted by literally anything else. Which takes about four seconds.

Keeping your phone nearby: Sure, you could shout "Hey Siri" from the shower. But wet hands and phones don't mix, and yelling at your phone through a glass door feels ridiculous.

What Actually Works: Voice Recording

The only reliable way to capture a shower thought is to speak it out loud, immediately, without needing your hands. That's where voice recording comes in.

I built Whisper Memos because I kept losing ideas. It works on Apple Watch, which means I can tap my wrist and start talking without touching my phone. The recording gets transcribed and sent to my email automatically.

For shower thoughts specifically, the Apple Watch is perfect. It's water-resistant, always on your wrist, and takes one tap to start recording. By the time you're out of the shower, the transcription is already in your inbox.

No more lost ideas. No more staring at blank screens trying to remember what felt so brilliant five minutes ago.

Try It

Next time you're in the shower and an idea hits, just tap and talk. You might be surprised how many good thoughts you've been losing.

Download Whisper Memos — it comes with a generous free trial.