7 Reasons Why Daydreaming is Healthy

Remember those warm early spring days sitting in school wishing you were outside playing? It's the bottom of the ninth with a tie score, two outs and you are up to bat. The count is three balls and two strikes. The pitcher throws a zinger. A fast ball right down the middle. Your eyes are wide in anticipation as you set your bat in motion. Then a voice heard through the mist brings you back to the reality that caused you to daydream in the first place. Everybody gets lost in a wandering mind from time to time, but is daydreaming healthy or nothing more than an empty stare when the mind goes somewhere else.

No one wants to get caught by the boss daydreaming. It's consider unproductive to let your mind wander when there's work to be done. Actually, daydreaming can make you more productive, better at problem solving, brain storming and even make you happier. Here are seven reasons why daydreaming is healthy for us to do.

Avoid conflict and manage your temper. Anger is a normal emotion some are able to control better than others. When we become angry, it's easy to say something we wish we hadn't and once the words fly from our lips, there's nothing we can do to retrieve them. Daydreaming allows you to go back over that argument with your spouse, co-worker, friend or whoever the disagreement was with. By going over what was said, you have a chance to consider other responses that may have worked better which might have resulted in a different outcome. It also helps put things in perspective and helps you learn how to better deal with someone in the future and can even open your eyes by discovering you could have been wrong.

Daydreaming helps you relax. We have our own ways of dealing with stressful situations and the healthiest thing we can do is relax. Next time you find yourself pacing or wringing your hands, try sitting back and letting your mind wander. Daydreaming can help relieve stress when you let your mind take you to a place where you can work out whatever is causing the stress. By thinking about how you will handle a situation you are worried about, you are able to reduce anxiety and relax.

Build on your relationships. Happy couples and people who have good relationships with other people, especially those they care about, have a tendency to daydream about those people. When you aren't with the ones you love or are fond of, thinking about them helps keep the relationship alive and healthy. Couples who aren't happy in their relationships will usually think back to that last argument and have negative thoughts where happy couples are more positive about each other and their continued success.

Helps you achieve goals and creativity. Writers use daydreams to create plots, characters, and scenes. A baseball player may daydream about winning the Golden Glove. When letting the mind wander, we can better meet goals when we see ourselves accomplishing them in a dream. By seeing how you are going to meet a particular goal, you are better able to get there in real time. If you see yourself as being successful, chances are you will become successful.

Improve productivity. Yes, daydreaming can actually make a person more productive. Boring and mindless tasks are everywhere and sometimes it's difficult trying to stay focused long enough to accomplish what needs to be done. Maybe that office meeting has gone on longer than it should and you've lost interest. Sitting back and taking a short break by letting your mind wander can be enough of a break to re energize your mind and get you focused on the task at hand.

Helps you learn about yourself. We all have things we are passionate about. When daydreaming about how to convince others of your passion, you are also learning about yourself. What you really believe in and why you hold those views. It's easier to convince others when you know exactly where you stand.

Can take you out of a boring situation. We've all been there. You've heard Uncle Henry's joke fifteen million times already and it wasn't that funny the first time. A quick trip into fantasy land will get you pass the boring joke in time to reemerge at the punch line with a hearty laugh to make Uncle Henry feel pleased that you still laugh at that dumb joke.

Most daydreams only last a short time, maybe a few minutes or so, but psychologists believe we fall prey to daydreaming anywhere from one-third to one half of the hours we are awake. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what to do or how to handle a situation in the real world, but daydreaming gives us a chance to get away, if only for a short time, and rehearse different scenarios that can help us solve problems when we get back to reality.

So the next time you see that blank look on your co workers face, give them a minute or two. They really are working. If you know a writer who appears dazed; do not disturb. You could be interfering with the next great American novel.

Louise Chang, MD, Why Does Daydreaming Get Such a Bad Rap, WebMD

The Power of Creative Daydreaming for Health and Wellness, articlesbase.com

Laurie Saloman, Why Daydreaming is Good For You, QualityHealth