Is Daydreaming good or bad?
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Is daydreaming good for you? Before solving this riddle, let us understand – What daydreaming is?
There are certain things, unfulfilled desires and fantasies in each person’s life which we have not completed so far, but we wish to experience in the future. These desires and dreams reside in our inner world all the time.
Desires which we could not attain due to lack of money, time, enthusiasm, or courage, we like to dream about them either consciously or unconsciously, with open eyes.
People have certain concerns which they want to get rid of as soon as possible. These issues swirl all the time in their mind—whether they are in bed, driving, working, and so on. These could be money-based, physical and mental health concerns, work-related challenges, relationships issues.
All in all, a blend of desires and problems keeps the mind running throughout most of the day.
Whenever a person has some free time or is engaged in a less important task, then there are chances that they may start dreaming about their desires, fantasies or problems. This process is known as daydreaming.
It is when we dream while awake. Specifically, it is a position between actual sleep and wakefulness. And there are bright chances of the daydreamer being surrounded by people also.
Difference between daydreaming and overthinking
As mentioned earlier in the article, daydreaming is a process that runs for a short period; the leisure time we get in between daily important tasks. But as soon as we need to be focused on the work again, the daydream quickly fades and focus spontaneously returns to the task.
If done moderately and dreamt about some real-life situation (not about some childish fantasy of conquering the world or helping avengers in fighting Thanos), it can be beneficial in many ways (that will be discussed further below).
The amazing fact about daydreaming that has been found after much research is, on average, about 30 to 47 percent of a person’s awake time is spent in daydreaming about the things that they have a thirst for but have not yet achieved.
Overthinking is a different but terrible way of using the mind’s energy, depending on the individual’s thoughts. People who think a lot about some past event, especially regretting something, shame, or guilt, are often into overthinking.
Spending a long time worrying about a future event, which ultimately leads to feelings of intimidation or anxiety about the event, is also another form of overthinking.
Especially thinking too much about the negative side of anything does also count as overthinking. If we think about anything in excess, in the end it leads to negativity; without even having any concrete proof, our mind starts accepting these negative beliefs.
This is why it’s important to understand the difference between daydreaming and overthinking. Knowing this difference can significantly make a huge change in a person’s life and especially the thought process. While one can aid in a person’s daily life situations and achieve his goals, others can make life a living hell.
Great scientists, poets, and saints would think a lot; if they didn’t, how would they have discovered gravity and electricity? However, this didn’t make them overthinkers. On the contrary, they invented many lifesaving drugs, useful gadgets etc.
They were able to differentiate between what really mattered and what did not.
Default Mode Network
Research has shown that our brain, when we are in a no-work situation, goes into a default mode without even letting us know, not giving any prior signal at all. This default mode network is mostly (not solely) responsible for daydreaming. This mode gets activated automatically as we go idle and lasts up to sometime depending upon the person, when he realizes that he is roaming in his thoughts.
This raises the question: Is it harmful to our mental well-being?
Now the main questions arise –
- Is daydreaming a disorder?
- Is it normal to daydream with open eyes?
- Is it a waste of time and energy?
- Whether these actions make a person nincompoop in front of others.
- While doing so, are we lagging behind in this competitive world as others are continuously working on something new and productive?
- How can I stop daydreaming while studying?
And many more like them.
The answer to all these questions lies in following terms:
- Content
- Time interval
- Place
An amazing fact is that most great inventors in the world were moderate daydreamers. This helped them discover solutions to many major problems which were once felt impossible to work out. Therefore, clinically speaking, daydreaming is not considered a mental disorder.
Many experiments have been conducted to study the brain’s reactions while it ruminates. The results are quite surprising.
A group of participants was monitored with necessary medical equipment. These people were encouraged to dream freely. The results showed that their brains emitted different types of waves depending on the content of their thoughts and dreams.
Most participants had thoughts about struggles with their bosses, spouses, or hectic work lives. Small disputes that are converted into big deals just by overestimating them in one’s own thought process. Mostly, negative thoughts were the outcome.
Some of them had thoughts of some pleasant place, experiences, or person. These types of thoughts are often referred to as freely moving thoughts. The waves emitted by the brain in the latter case were alpha waves. Studies have shown that when the brain has alpha movement, it performs more effectively on creative tasks.
Content
Prior research into the types of ideas and thoughts that come to mind during rumination is surely a wise approach. Having a keen eye and a sharp mind lead to a clearer, less confused life.
As Budha said “Mind is everything, what you think, you become”. This suggests we should think positively and act accordingly. Yes, we cannot deny the fact that staying positive is not that easy nowadays. However, even small improvements are better than none at all.
When we dream about something that bring us pleasure, it is fine. When we daydream about a life problem and try finding a solution to it, it is also fine. But if the content is mostly violent, sexual, or influenced by a recent movie (watched lately), then the content needs a clean out.
The moment we realize that our daydream is going the wrong way, try to stop it immediately. Doing that over and over will eventually stop those thoughts from bothering us anymore.
Time Interval
When stressed and burned out, a nap or a brief rumination (daydreaming) can be helpful in soothing things out. However, prolonged daydreaming may have negative repercussions.
As discussed above, if any thought or idea is given too much attention while it is not being worked upon, then its negative aspects are inexorable. It is also advisable to focus on dreams and desires that make us feel better.
If we are conducting an experiment, considering its negative outcomes is a good thing. But thinking too much about the negative outcomes of daily events will not make things any better.
Place
We might have seen that person in a group or family, who asks the same question repeatedly ‘what did you just say?’ or ‘I could not get what you just said’ or ‘I didn’t catch that’. Chances are bright that this person is either daydreaming or struggling to focus.
Sitting among family at home, with friends, or colleagues and simultaneously dreaming about the villa you want to purchase, surely questions your communication and listening skills. The time we spend with family and friends is priceless, so it is best to be present there both physically and mentally.
Also, there are times when daydream can cause significant harm to anyone. Some of them are:
- While driving – However, it does not need any explanation that how dangerous and even fetal it could become if instead of having focus and eyes on the road while driving, we dream for pleasure.
- While studying/ in exam – Children often do not realize when they start dreaming, because they struggle to differentiate between what is right and wrong. Having the ability to focus at the right times is an essential part of their upbringing. In this context, the role of parents and teachers is crucial, as they should monitor whether a child is daydreaming while studying. Young people should learn how to stay focused while studying and working.
- While in a meeting – If someone dissociates oneself from a meeting, where they are an integral part, it can lead them to an embarrassing situation. They may even become the target of humor.
Maladaptive Daydreaming
If you are a moderate daydreamer (common behavior), then it is fine. Even so, ask this question from yourself – “Does daydreaming gatecrash most of the time of the day?” or “Do your daydreams interfere with your daily life”. If the answer is “yes” or somewhat near to “yes”, learning more about maladaptive daydreaming condition is essential for you.
In maladaptive daydreaming, dreams last for a long span of time, sometimes they last up to an hour. According to experts, people in this condition may start experiencing real-life feelings in daydreams, which can disrupt their daily social lives.
It is also advisable for frequent daydreamers, that they should be aware of the difference between maladaptive and normal daydreaming. If this day’s rumination continues for longer durations throughout the day, then it is likely to change into maladaptive daydreaming.
Conclusion
Dreaming about our life goals is easy and can be really satisfying. However, we can’t achieve them by dreaming more and working less. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote, ‘What is not started today is never finished tomorrow’. The message is clear: if we want to achieve something good in life, we need to put in the work. The mantra is to work more and dream less. Whether daydreaming benefits you depends entirely on you.
Whenever we start something new, scrutinizing carefully is a good thing. It always results in a positive outcome. If daydreaming used in a wise way, it can be a cause for many satisfactory fortunes in life. If we face some trouble or complication, daydreaming can help us explore options to handle that situation. In addition to that, it helps in understanding the problem on a profound level.
Creativity is directly linked to thoughtful and wise daydreaming. Thinking about different aspects of a task can come up with new options to perform and in an advanced way.
Last but not least, it is very helpful in these days of high-stress, high-workload environments. During moments of exhaustion and hassle a short daydreaming about our desires can be really joyful. It can transport us from a web of stress to an open sky filled with bliss without costing anything at all.
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