Whether you are an adult, child, or old, there are moments when you daydream about things in your life, irrespective of the place, situation, or what you are currently doing. It is a condition when you fantasize about what you’d do in the future, how you would face a certain scenario, your party outfits, and several other things like that. However, there can be a sense of reality in these daydreaming situations, and you can say that it is a kind of manifestation that you do, but most of the time, it is not actually related to your present.
How Do You Define The Term Daydreaming?
Daydreaming is an act when you think about frictional and non-present related things while your eyes are wide open. For example, if you have watched an action anime recently and are too immersed in it, then you will start fantasizing about one of the characters in that anime. Usually, when you fantasize, you put yourself in the shoes of the main protagonist, and then the rest of the world revolves around you.
Other than that, you also dream about various scenarios in your head that are not related to your current situation and actions. According to some researchers, this is the way for humans to deal with their pain and experiences that have left a traumatic effect on them. When you dream about a situation, you often think about the positive side of it, when in reality, it is quite the opposite of it.
For example, in reality, if you fought with someone and you were unable to reply back to the person at present, then when you daydream, you will say everything that you wanted to, and the scenario in your head will be totally different. It is a good thing to daydream, but sometimes, it can go to an extended level and thus affect the normal functioning of your mental health condition.
Advantages Of Daydreaming
There are no limitations or restrictions to your daydreams, and you can do it anywhere, such as office, school, bus stand, park, before sleep, etc. You just stare at one spot and think about multiple things in one go or stay focused to dwell on one single matter. According to scientists, a normal human spends about 30%- 50% of their time in daydreaming. There are some notable benefits of daydreaming, and here are some of them.
1. You Can Expand Your Creativity
According to the findings of the research, daydreaming is highly linked with higher levels of creativity. This is because people who daydream have a different approach to seeing and visualizing things than those who do not. Daydreaming keeps the brain of the person busy and makes work faster in a limited time; hence, they come up with unique solutions and creativity regarding different real-life situations and problems.
A few years back, a study was conducted on some college students in which they were given a task to come up with all the possible uses of toothpicks and bricks in 2 minutes. So, the students who daydreamed in classes showed excellent results compared to those who were attentive in class. This is because daydreamers focused on the solutions more than the problem and hence generated more creative ideas that, too, by a huge margin.
2. Reduces Your Stress And Anxiety
Have You experienced that when you are daydreaming, all the outside noise gets silent no matter how noisy your surroundings are? This is because when you are concentrated or immersed in your own thoughts, you tend to ignore everything that is going on around you, and this situation is called the alpha wave state.
When you enter your alpha state zone, you find a different type of peace and relaxation, and you forget about your stress and anxiety for a while. There are several factors that can trigger your anxiety or stress, and one of the best ways to deal with it is to get lost in your own thoughts. Your imagination is boundless, so you can think whatever you want so that you can put your mind and soul at peace.
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3. Different Parts Of Your Brain Is Engaged
When you daydream, you engage different parts of your brain at once and activate both the executive problem-solving network as well as the creativity network. Both these sections of your brain work simultaneously, and thus, they don’t let you sit idle; they keep you thinking, and this helps you to develop critical problem-solving skills.
When you daydream, it also saves you from boredom and idleness as your mind is wandering elsewhere while you are sitting in a different place. Apart from that, when you are wandering about things, it forges connections across your brain as the structure of your cells changes while daydreaming.
4. You Can Manifest And Reach Your Goals
Some daydreams are associated with your real-life goals, and they push you toward achieving them. For example, you are an office-goer and have a certain target to complete within the month to get the award. So there will be times when you zone out while working and think about receiving that award, and hence, when you come back to reality, you will work harder towards achieving that.
However, sometimes, you daydream about fantasy scenarios, which may disappoint you in reality because it is all frictional, and no such things exist in reality. So, daydreaming about real-life goals is pleasing, whereas unrealistic thinking will only lead to disappointments.
Read More: What Is Brain Fog? Causes, Symptoms, And Treatments
Conclusion
In conclusion, daydreaming has been known to have a bad reputation for ages because people think that it is a waste of time. To some extent, they are right because too much daydreaming can be dangerous for one’s mental health, so you must be mindful of the courses. Although there are some notable benefits associated with this activity, you cannot rule out the possibility of the potential risks that might put you in danger. But looking at the bright side, daydreaming is good for your own mental peace, relaxation, creativity, and future goals.
References
- Schupak C, Rosenthal J. Excessive daydreaming: a case history and discussion of mind wandering and high fantasy proneness. Conscious Cogn. (2009) 18:290–2. 10.1016/j.concog.2008.10.002 [PubMed]
- Somer E. Maladaptive daydreaming: a qualitative inquiry. J Contemp Psychother. (2002) 32:197–212. 10.1023/A:1020597026919 [CrossRef]
