Unlike any other form of thought, daydreaming is its own reward – Michael Pollan
Daydreaming was my favorite childhood activity
When I was a little girl, daydreaming was my favorite activity. I could be lost in my imagination for hours and hours, and I never needed the tv, books or other people to entertain myself. When I was daydreaming, I felt a deep curiosity for life. It meant being truly in awe of life, nature and the endless possibilities I saw for myself and others. I could see a butterfly and make up a whole story about the butterfly. I was not very present in my body, but felt like the highest vibe activity, I was floating and feeling pure joy.
For people around me it was slightly annoying sometimes, because communicating with me was challenging to say the least. ´Where were you? ´ was a commonly asked question, and truthfully, I have no idea where I went. It felt like I was out of the here and now and in some other space.
Learning to be present
When I went to school, I learned that you are expected to pay attention constantly, being ready to answer any question the teacher might ask. My parents were often told during parent teacher meetings that I was a good student, but easily distracted. I started seeing my daydreaming as a negative trait, one that made it hard for me to pay attention.
I learned to put more effort into being present, being in my body and the here and now. That has been highly beneficial for a ton of reasons: being in my body allows me to experience life, really experience the moment as it is unfolding right now. Being present means being in the experience with other people, allowing others to be truly seen and heard. Cultivating the skill of being present makes life so much better, and I recommend everyone to get out of their heads and into their body as much as they can.
But I also deeply believe that my childhood favorite activity of daydreaming deserves a bit more love. As adults, it is something most of us don´t do very often. Whether or not you were also a daydreamer as a kid, I believe it is healthy for all of us to bring some of its magic into our lives.
The benefits of daydreaming
It is important here to note that daydreaming is not the same as overanalyzing or worrying, something many adults including myself spend a ton of time doing. Worrying is fear-based thinking, focusing on all the things that could possibly go wrong. Overanalyzing means being stuck in our head, thinking about every single detail of past or future situations and losing our connection with our bodies and the present moment. While very human, these activities are not particularly helpful in living a more fulfilling life.
Daydreaming is being in a dream-like state while being awake. It is being curious, experiencing awe and wonder about life, being inspired by everything that is happening around you. It is imagining yourself in situations that you never thought were possible for you. Daydreaming helps you see the beauty of life; it stimulates creativity by simply allowing your mind to create without forcing or controlling it. gives us a chance to see where our mind wonders, what we truly desire and helps us see the many possibilities that life offers. Daydreaming adds a little fairy dust to your life.
How to make space for daydreaming in your life
Daydreaming is something that can naturally occur when we don´t occupy our mind with other things. Something that changed massively since I was a child in the late 90´s and early 00´s is the amount of time spent doing absolutely nothing. There was no podcast to listen to on the train, there was only staring out of the window and seeing the landscape gradually change. Without the possibility of grabbing my phone while waiting for an appointment, I automatically found myself scanning the room, imagining how the items found their way to this place. When we have moments without any distractions, our mind can take us places.
To be able to make space for daydreaming, we need to be comfortable with not filling every single moment with something to do or consume. The moments on the train, walking in the park, waiting at the dentist´s office or in line at the supermarket are moments where we can grab our phone, or we can decide to let our mind wonder.
When you notice that your mind goes more into overthinking when you carve out time, creating a setting that helps you create a dream-like state can help. Think of listening to music that is very dream-like, while being in your favorite place in the house. Have some of your favorite tea, and make sure you are wearing comfortable clothes.
Creating the right setting
Being in a beautiful natural environment naturally inspires daydreaming, when you take the time to be fully immersed in it. Focusing on a beautiful item that you own and means a lot to you can help bring you back to that time you cherish.
If daydreaming still feels challenging, stimulate your creative mind by making up a story about someone you see, a tree or the rain. If it has been a while that you felt that state, or if you have never experienced it, it might take some training for the mind. Try painting, drawing or playing with clay if that feels more natural to you.
A little safety note here: don´t daydream while driving or doing other activities that require our full attention. As wonderful as it is, there is a time and a place for daydreaming.
Reclaiming the childlike magic
I have noticed that since I started making space for daydreaming again, I have become a happier and more creative person. My best ideas come to me when I am looking at the clouds, and my once dreaded bike rides in the rain have become a time I cherish to be with my own imagination. I feel like I have gotten a part of my childhood self back, and I find that life is so much more joyful when I carve out time to drift off.
Whether you are already a daydreamer or not, I hope this inspires you to make a little bit more time to allow your mind to wander off into beautiful places. Because, as Michael Pollan said, unlike any other form of thought, daydreaming is its own reward.