Freezing in a Brainstorm?

Have you ever been in a brainstorming session where someone asks for ideas and suddenly your brain just… freezes?

You know you should say something. Everyone else is thinking. But the more you try to come up with an idea, the harder it becomes.

For the longest time, I thought that was just how brainstorming session worked.

But one of the thing that I learned recently and wish I knew sooner is: problem solving is something I can practice.

Might sound obvious to some, but having problem solving as an exercise could be such a great way to approach real problems later on.

“Brain exercise” that I know is usually tied to things like… solving math problems, crosswords, or even sudoku. Not that it doesn’t help train my brain. But I neglected the idea that it doesn’t directly train the kind of problem solving I use when reframing issues or generating new ideas.

For a singer to be a better singer, they train by singing. The same goes for a writer, they practice by writing their ideas. You get better at the skill you actually practice.

Brainstorming works the same way. We can get better at it by actually practicing solving problems.

And it doesn’t always need to be something high stakes. A brainstorming practice with a team, solving a non-urgent problem and work around simple things just to exercise our thinking could be fun!

From the design team at Evermos, I learned that these sessions can start with questions that are not urgent but still worth exploring. For example: How could public transportation in my city be better? Why don’t more people use it? What would make them change their mind? These may not be problems we are responsible for solving, but going through the thinking process still gives us a chance to practice how we approach problems.

Brainstorming also comes with many different techniques that help people generate ideas in different ways. Some techniques focus on producing many ideas quickly, while others help people think more deeply about a problem. Because there are so many methods, a practice session can be a good chance to try several of them.

During these sessions, we can test different approaches such as mind mapping, the 5 Whys, How Might We questions, Crazy 8s, and other techniques. The goal is not only to generate ideas, but also to understand how each technique works in practice. Some methods may feel natural for the team, while others might feel confusing or slow.

By practicing them in a low-pressure setting, we begin to recognize which techniques work better for certain situations. One method might be helpful for generating many ideas quickly, while another might help us understand the root of a problem more clearly. This experience makes it easier to choose the right approach when we need to run an actual brainstorming session.

Practice also helps us notice when a technique does not suit us or the kind of problem we are trying to solve. It is much better to discover that during a casual practice session than during a real workshop where everyone is waiting for ideas. Instead of feeling stuck or unsure about what to do, we can enter the session with a clearer sense of which tools will help the discussion move forward.

These practice sessions can also be done with different kinds of groups. In my previous company, we often did them with fellow designers. Since many of us were interested in design thinking and creative methods, it was easy to explore different techniques together.

In my previous company, Evermos, we used to do this kind of brainstorming practice weekly with fellow designers. The session was not always tied to a specific project. Instead, it became a shared learning opportunity for everyone involved. We explored different problems, tried various brainstorming techniques, and learned from each other’s thinking process. The idea was that each of us could take what we learned from the session and bring those insights back to our own teams when we needed to run a real brainstorming workshop.

If you do not already have something like this in your workplace, it can start with a small group of people who are simply interested in the topic. It could be colleagues who want to learn more about brainstorming methods, or even volunteers who are curious about how these techniques work. The important part is having a group that is willing to experiment, reflect, and learn together. Over time, these sessions can become a valuable space to practice facilitation skills and build confidence before applying them in real work situations.

This kind of practice pays off during design thinking workshops or brainstorming sessions at work. The more you train, the more options you start to see, and the less likely you are to freeze in the moment.

Brainstorming can feel difficult when it only happens once in a while, especially when the pressure is high and people expect quick ideas.

But with regular practice, it becomes less of a struggle and more like a skill you are ready to use when the moment comes.

So, are you ready for your next brainstorming session? 🧠⚡

Originally posted on my Medium account on March 2026 : https://medium.com/@prifani.hafidzah/stop-freezing-in-a-brainstorm-5215ed932512