10 Surprising Benefits Of Day Dreaming
They used to say that a wandering mind is bad for you and your education, but research shows that it’s just a sign of a healthy mind! So you aren’t distracted; your brain’s just working out!
While many of us have been reprimanded for daydreaming during a class, it might not have been such a bad thing after all. Research shows that people who daydream while doing specific tasks have better recall ofc the present!
Wandering off doesn’t have to be a complete fantasy land either. You could just be thinking about what happened in the past, what you want to eat for lunch, or even thinking about things in the future! Here are ten reasons daydreaming is good for you!
1 Brain Workout
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Of all the parts of your body, you probably would have expected that your brain would be the last thing you had to work out. But being able to recall events from the past or thinking about the future affects your brain's physical structure.
The brain's physical structure changes all the time when receiving new information. The changes happen as new information enters the brain and creates new neural pathways. So daydream away and get your brain some gains!
2 Rest Periods
There are two parts of your brain; one is for making decisions and analyzing your environment, the other is for your emotions and empathy for others, but you can only use one part at a time.
While daydreaming, you might turn on one part to create your dreams allowing the other to rest. Throughout the dream, you may be able to access the different parts of your brain and make a smoother transition when switching between these parts.
3 Boosts Creativity
Allowing yourself a break and allowing your mind to wander are just a few ways to get those juices flowing. Creatives usually find their best ideas come from moments when they aren’t even thinking!
Daydreaming allows your mind to travel through the different parts; information that usually wouldn’t connect might make sense while daydreaming. As the mind wanders, you can create new ideas, and you may even find innovative solutions to problems!
4 Helps You Open Your Mind
As far as research can show, humans, are the only creatures who can imagine what an experience could be like for another. It doesn’t have only to be humans; it shows how we think of an animal’s survival in the wild and how we react to nature's natural course.
Allowing yourself to daydream and think of another person's perspective also allows us to become more empathetic, opens our minds, and helps us understand others. With a better view and understanding of others, we can react to situations more suitably!
5 Build Relationships
Daydreaming can help improve your relationships, especially with people who aren’t present at the moment! If your brain can remember what an apple is, it can recreate a moment or feeling with someone!
Daydreaming can improve the connection you have with people if you’re focused on attaining a positive response. So dreaming about reuniting with your friends, family members, and even your partner can make your love for them stronger!
6 Memory Improvements
Your memory is improved because it allows your mind to store and recall information when necessary. While daydreaming, your brain has to work on remembering what you were doing before you started daydreaming, then allowing you to go back and complete tasks after daydreaming.
The same can be said if you’re a person who wants to go back to a daydream at a later stage and develop an existing dream after completing your work for the day!
7 Improves Productivity
There is no such thing as productivity without a few breaks. You might notice that you feel more refreshed and ready to take work on after a vacation, but it doesn’t always have to cost you money!
Micro-breaks from daydreaming can leave you refreshed and rejuvenated, as would an actual vacation! So the next time you’re feeling tired and unproductive, let your mind wander off for a bit before you get back to work!
8 Manages Anxiety
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Daydreaming can help you feel calmer when approaching a scary situation that might psych you out! Where you would usually spend time thinking of all the things that can go wrong, you could walk yourself through a crisis.
Instead of being plagued by worry, use daydreaming as a tool to allow the thoughts to pass through. This could help you prepare for upcoming situations that might cause you stress instead of being riddled with fear!
9 Goals Become More Attainable
Daydreaming can help you make your goals more attainable by bypassing problems and creating solutions to any obstacles you might face along the way! Start by thinking of a realistic goal, and develop a plan to achieve it!
10 Makes You Happier
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Allowing yourself to daydream and creating little dreams where you express hope and anticipation leads to joy! You could stress yourself out when creating an anxiety-riddled daydream, but if you try to push yourself to explore the positives, it could leave you feeling more relaxed!
After experiencing draining or stressful situations, daydreaming can help calm you down and leave you feeling positive. So dream away, it's better for you!