Hi, I'm Dr. Ellen Hendrickson, and welcome to episode 36 of the savvy psychologist.

I'll help you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

We'll use the best of psychology to help you be happy, healthy, and most importantly yourself.

This week we answer a question from savvy listener Philip L.

He's been following the latest research connecting daydreaming and creativity and

asks if daydreaming is so great, why isn't it more satisfying? Why do we feel like we're wasting time?

So the short answer is that in a culture that values productivity and goal-directed behavior,

daydreaming is looked at, at best, a momentary distraction, and at worst, irresponsible loafing.

But it turns out that daydreaming, zoning out, or spacing out, collectively called mind

wandering by psychological researchers is a mixed bag with both benefits and costs.

So before we get into that, let's define mind wandering, so we're all zoning out on the

same page as it were.

Mind wandering is, quote, a shift of attention

away from a primary task toward internal information.

Or you could also call it stimulus independent thought.

In other words, it's what's happening when you're trying to read war and peace, but your mind

is planning dinner.

Or you've been staring at the TV, but you suddenly realize you have no idea what Phil and Claire are talking about.

Mindwidering happens on two levels.

So one, when we realize we're not on task, and two, when we're not even aware that our mind is drifting. The latter,

mind wandering without awareness, is officially called zoning out. And mind

wandering happens under almost any circumstance.

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