This is an ABC podcast.

In a typical day, say a work day, how much of your time do you spend actually thinking about

and doing the tasks that you're meant to be doing?

Or do you find your mind easily wanders?

We're wandering for about half of our waking hours.

So half of our waking hours, our mind is not where our body is.

And I think this is amazing when you think about it.

I mean, half of the time, when my kids talk to me, when my friends talk to me,

when I have to watch a lecture or a movie, half of the

time my mind is somewhere else. So this is a sensational, I think.

And it sounds pretty bad, right? Like who doesn't want to be more present for their kids

or focused on their work? But neuroscientist Professor Moshe Barr says that's not the whole

story.

One of the things that made me have more new friends now is because I kind of read people

of the guilt feeling, the society as instilled in us, as in mind wandering is a waste of time,

or you're being lazy, or this student in class that's staring you know, staring at the ceiling and we all

think it's a bad thing that they cannot keep focus or whatever.

But then when we realize how constructive mind wandering is by in large unless they're clinical

situations, then we actually, as society, should encourage it.

This is actually a creative and a productive process that we should nurture, not suppress.

So what are the constructive things our minds do when they wander? And when does mind wandering

cross into not so constructive territory? You're listening to All in the Mind. I'm Sana Khadar.

...