The Benefits of Daydreaming

While sitting (or rather slumping) in double biology on Monday morning I found it hard to make fish gills engage my cerebral cortex. Soon the lower part of my brain whisked my thoughts away to ‘are fish just meat without feet?’ and ‘meh, I don’t care because humans are technically half centaur’. Before long I’m gazing out of the window. I am aware focusing my mind is the key to understanding not only fish but how to work, learn and achieve success. Then what, if any, are the benefits of staring out of the window and daydreaming?

Apparently there are enough benefits to encourage us all to keep dreaming on, from improving creativity to health. Similar to dreaming it has the ability to consolidate learning and researchers from the Anti-Stress Center found daydreaming is a form of hypnosis which can lower stress levels and blood pressure.

Daydreaming also helps us explore new ideas. Cognitive scientists say daydreaming is the human brain’s default setting, when our best thinking occurs and when the unconscious mind can devise creative solutions.

Therefore when presented with a problem, be it the un-popped kernels in microwave popcorn or global warming, perhaps we should think beyond the facts to come up with the Eureka moment that will enable us to create a brighter future through clear thinking. There’s a good reason why great minds are known for retreating to tranquil places!

This is not to say all idleness shares the benefits of daydreaming. Mental down time does not include zoning out with a Netflix subscription or even reading a book, but doing nothing to fully allow the mind to freely to slip, untethered, from idea to idea.

In a recent TED Talk, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe (who spent time as a monk in the Himalayas) poses the notion: ‘When was the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 minutes? No reading, no eating, no checking email — just simply taking in the present moment?’ He goes onto explain how ‘It’s all part of mind maintenance, an essential task, especially when you consider just how much we increasingly demand of ourselves.’

By now I bet your mind is wandering but, instead of firing a question about fish gills at you to check you’re still paying attention, I’d say go for it and set your mind adrift. Far from unproductive, daydreaming is imperative. Before we plan or love or write or discover we are idle. Before we learn we watch and before we do we dream…though maybe not during double biology.