I frequently daydream, and I’m interested in why some of us do it more than others. My grandfather told my dad he was a “dreamer” and while it was meant as a criticism, I’m proud to be the son of a dreamer and to be one myself. Still, I wonder about the effects of excessive daydreaming.

Sometimes, my daydreaming disrupts my tasks or makes it difficult to pay attention in conversation. When I daydream, I lose touch with the present moment, which becomes an issue when it happens too often.

This has caused me to consider the relationship between daydreaming and mindfulness. When we daydream, are we not mindful? Should we unlearn daydreaming to be more present, or can we find a healthy balance? What if daydreaming holds more benefits than we might think?

These are questions I want to investigate in this article. Let’s discuss daydreaming in detail: the pros and cons, the scientific perspective, and the relationship between mindfulness and daydreaming. 

What is daydreaming? Why do we daydream?

Daydreaming is a consciousness stream that detaches us from tasks we’re currently performing, turning our attention inward rather than outward. Daydreaming is also called mind-wandering, fantasizing, and having spontaneous thoughts.

The spontaneity of daydreaming is what makes it distinct from thinking. When we think about something, we apply conscious effort to remain focused on it. When we daydream, we are lost in thought. We think about things while daydreaming, but we are not in control of what they are or how they develop.

Let’s take a look at the constructive functions of daydreaming:

• Thinking about our future: imagining future successes, possible failures, goals we want to achieve

• Thinking creatively: coming up with creative solutions to problems, developing artistic projects

• Dishabituating: thinking about something else to refresh your perspective on your current task

• Relieving boredom: detaching from a boring task to entertain ourselves, making time pass more quickly

• Imagining social situations: reducing loneliness, understanding our relationships better

Let’s dig a little deeper. What happens at the neurological level? What are our brains doing when we daydream?

The science of daydreaming

A 2023 study performed at Harvard Medical School and published in Nature sheds some light on the mysterious nature of daydreaming at a neurological level. Observing the brain activity of mice, a team of researchers “wanted to know how this daydreaming process occurred on a neurobiological level, and whether these moments of quiet reflection could be important for learning and memory,” the lead author, Nghia Nguyen, said.

Brain scans were taken of mice during and after looking at an image. When looking at the image, the neuronal activity of the mice was recorded. Later, when the image had been taken away and the mice were awake but in a quiet, reserved state, the brain scans reflected similar activity to when they’d been looking at the picture. This suggested to the researchers that the mice, while awake, were daydreaming about the image they’d previously seen.

Later, the mice were shown the images again, revealing something interesting. The brain activity was now different from the first time the mice saw the images. This demonstrated to the researchers that their relationship to the image had progressed and developed because they daydreamed about it. The researchers saw evidence that daydreaming shapes the brain’s relationship to what it sees.

For senior author of the study Mark Andermann, these findings could further develop our understanding of brain plasticity. The neurological perspective on daydreaming provides some interesting food for thought. It suggests that daydreaming may perform some concrete cerebral functions that have not been scientifically proven yet. More tests are needed to develop the findings, however.

Let’s put this into perspective with an example scenario: When was the last time you saw a movie you couldn’t stop thinking about? One that even distracted you at work, during a meeting, or on a phone call?

The more you daydream about the movie, the more you discover not only about the movie itself but also why it meant so much to you. It might cause you to reflect on memories that the movie triggered continue to develop your interpretation of it. After thinking about it so much, you might find yourself more articulate in discussing it with others, because you have further developed your understanding of the movie.

This is one of the constructive features of daydreaming. It can deepen our understanding of the things we experience and consume. Let’s now look conversely at excessive daydreaming, a phenomenon called “maladaptive daydreaming”.

What is maladaptive daydreaming?

Maladaptive daydreaming is characterized by long bouts of daydreaming, sometimes for hours at a time, and usually to cope with a problem. It’s termed “maladaptive” because it can cause distress or negatively impact a person’s ability to work, socialize, or complete daily tasks.

The intensity of maladaptive daydreams is what makes them distinct from regular daydreaming. They are characterized by the following:

• Lengthy durations (15 minutes to 2+ hours)

• Elaborate scenarios

• Distressing imaginary situations

• Immersive settings and interactions

Episodes of maladaptive daydreaming are also accompanied by behaviors like pacing and fidgeting. They also result in the dreamer not responding when spoken to.

I remember as a kid, daydreaming and pacing at the beach. I walked a big circle over and over, cutting a deep trench in the sand. We were on vacation and I couldn't stop my mind from wandering back to something that had happened at school recently. Because I was stuck in my head the whole time, I have almost no memories of the vacation. Reflecting on this, I was likely experiencing a prolonged episode of maladaptive daydreaming.

When we daydream too much, it can rob us of experiences that might have otherwise enriched our lives. While some daydreaming is conducive to creative output, at other times, we are merely stuck in our heads, ruminating on the same things.

This is where I’d like to discuss the tension between mindfulness and daydreaming. Staying present can be hard for frequent daydreamers, especially when suffering bouts of maladaptive daydreaming. Learning mindfulness can give us the tools to reduce our daydreaming when we need to, but will we always have to deal with that tension? Let’s discuss it further.

Mindfulness for daydreamers

There are two aspects of mindfulness important for our discussion: mindfulness meditation and being mindful in daily life.

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that can help us slow down any racing thoughts, let go of negative ones, and calm our minds and bodies. Techniques vary, but most mindfulness meditation involves deep breathing and an increased awareness of body and mind.

Being mindful, on the other hand, refers to a state of being in everyday life. We can practice this kind of mindfulness while we work, when we go for a walk, engage in conversation with friends, or in any situation that benefits from our full attention. The idea is that we don’t let our minds wander. Essentially, that we don’t daydream.

Since daydreaming has unique benefits we discussed earlier, especially for creative people, the goal shouldn’t be to replace daydreaming with mindfulness. Instead, we can find a balance and identify when daydreaming is appropriate and when we need to be mindful.

This is where learning mindfulness can come in handy. We can use the teachings of mindfulness to regain our focus when our mind wanders. Learning mindfulness for a daydreamer can take a little more patience and guidance than it might take for others, but it offers the same rewards. Here are some approaches for daydreamers interested in trying mindfulness:

Focus on the external world. Mindfulness practitioners often encourage us to filter out external distractions, but daydreamers might have a problem with this. When we filter out the external world, we’re inside our heads—where the daydreaming begins.

Instead, we can try using the external world as our focus. Go for a walk, let the external world impose itself on you and pay attention to your surroundings. Instead of getting lost in your head, listen to your footsteps, the birds in the trees, and people talking around you. Engage all your senses. Take a deep breath of fresh air and smell what’s in it.

Start easy. Sitting and meditating for 30 minutes might seem scary to daydreamers. We know how easily our minds wander. Try instead 3-minute timed sessions, focusing on your breath. Notice the physical sensations and emotions running through your mind, let the thoughts come and go while always returning to your breathing.

This can ground you and give you a reason not to board every train of thought. The short session length is also less likely to discourage you from trying in the first place.

Use guided meditations. Since we daydreamers are distracted by our thoughts, try giving yourself something to focus on. There are many options for guided meditations, and they can be a great way to encourage focus on the task of being mindful and staying in the moment. Since guided meditation often encourages visualizing things and using your imagination, daydreaming can be a valuable skill here.

Interested in discovering the level of mindfulness in your life? Take our Mindfulness Test for free.

Accepting the tension between mindfulness and daydreaming

As a final note, it’s important to remember that we shouldn’t try to defeat daydreaming in ourselves. We may find that it can be frustrating when our mind wanders, especially if it wanders to unpleasant things or for long periods of time, but daydreaming can be a wonderful gift and a great skill. Daydreaming breeds creativity and allows us to develop ideas in our heads. Daydreamers are often reflective and thoughtful people who give more attention to the things they experience.

What mindfulness can do for us is help exhibit some control over our daydreaming. For daydreamers like myself, regaining control of our minds is crucial because we feel like our mind wanders off on its own.

Practicing mindfulness a few times a day, trying some guided meditations, and being mindful in everyday life is beneficial not only to us but to others. We can enjoy healthier communication in relationships and increased productivity at work.

In addition, with a mindfulness routine, we can employ daydreaming more purposefully. We can choose when we want to think about something and make sure we are in the right place and moment to let our minds wander freely. This can assist with improving the functioning of our daydreaming when we need it to help us reflect on something, use our imagination, or plan a future scenario.

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