The Lost Art of Daydreaming it's Surprising Benefits
Once upon a time, “daydreaming” was seen as a criticism (“oh he’s daydreaming again”), but there’s a lot that can be said for daydreaming in today’s stressful and uncertain world. Here, we explore the benefits daydreaming could bring into your life, and look at how journaling can be used to capture the gems of this underrated practice.
The mindfulness movement has become extremely popular, and considering the empirical support behind it, there is good reason. Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present moment; it’s something I often recommend to my clients, as well as practise myself. But with all this mindfulness taking centre stage, the art of daydreaming is in danger of being forgotten.
Let’s look at some of daydreaming’s benefits:
Switching off
Daydreaming gives us a respite from devices, electronics and being at everyone else’s beck and call. This is your time with no pressure to be somewhere else or do something else. Think of it as a mini mind holiday, one with similar benefits to mindfulness. Watching the ocean, an aquarium or clouds float past or listening to music on your headphones while your mind wanders is extremely soothing and relaxing, and can allow for a “reset” from the day’s grind.
Improving productivity
When you let go of the need to be productive, you may at the same time be improving your productivity, as experts have found. Daydreaming is also likely to help us activate the right side of our brains – great for creativity and problem solving.
Goal setting
Daydreaming is a great way to hone in on the things that matter to us – our future jobs, relationships, holidays, and lifestyles. By imagining how you want to live and who you want to live your life with, your mind unconsciously sets goals and starts working towards them. Our daydreams can also reveal something about ourselves. When that novel or business idea dominates our daydreams, then perhaps it’s time to do something about it.
Self-discovery
Daydreaming can also be hugely helpful in the process of discovering our personal brands (essentially, the name you want to make for yourself), pointing us towards potential “core attributes” such as passion, purpose and vision, or a cause that touches our heartstrings. Or perhaps it may guide our “outer brand”, pointing us to an alternative part of our self-image, such as a need to reveal our inner flamboyance. We can also use mind wandering to discover ways to enrich our lives, such as with recreation or relationships. We may be drawn to a particular film or book that keeps popping up in our minds, or even a person that we feel drawn to.
Daydreaming 101
If you’re out of the habit it may feel a little unnatural at first. And you may even feel a little guilty…but don’t let that stop you! Start by setting aside time to do nothing and see where your mind takes you. Many of us daydream countless times daily, so some special time for reflective thinking, without distractions, can reap the most benefits. Great places to daydream include long train journeys, soaking in a hot bath or while you are sitting comfortably and listening to music. If sitting still isn’t your thing, you can also get into the daydreaming groove whilst you are walking, swimming or running. Darwin would stroll down a designated “thinking path” to contemplate his ideas, and Nietzsche retreated to nature walks for hours spent in deep thought.
How to capture your daydreams
Of course, we don’t want to set up this unchartered time with rules and must-dos, but sometimes daydreaming throws up really valuable ideas – a plot twist for that novel you are working on, thoughts on how to handle that difficult situation at work, a feeling of excitement about something so strong you just want to get started – so it can be great to use an App like Journify to capture any important insights from your session. Listening back to your thoughts a few days later can help you capture your insights and excitement. Over time it may also help you spot patterns of thought, or just throw up parts of our lives that we are not happy with. Finally, think about how fascinating it would be to have access to our daydreams of five or ten years ago – and how wonderful it will be to access today’s dreams one day in the future…when all your dreams have hopefully come true.
About the Author:
Bringing together her extensive training, experience and passion in both psychology and branding, Dr Lisa Orban founded Golden Notebook. A clinical psychologist, Lisa trained and practised in New York City for eleven years before relocating to London. Lisa helps clients make a name for themselves by discovering their distinct and authentic personal brand. She takes a unique approach to personal branding that combines psychological assessment and theory with branding strategies to create powerful and enduring individual change and personal impact.
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