Do You Daydream?
A friend recently sent me an article on daydreaming, the need to do it. Basically, the article points out how cluttered our lives and minds have become as we deal with everyday problems, many of which have been acerbated by the pandemic and the fearful news with which we’re constantly bombarded. The article suggests everyone should daydream, that it will help with stress. It also states that whereas it sounds like daydreaming should be easy to accomplish, it’s become quite difficult for many.
In emails and posts I’ve read this past year, over and over writers have stated they simply haven’t been able to write with all that’s been going on. Basically, this article says we need to get back in the habit of daydreaming, of thinking pleasurable thoughts. It’s sort of like smiling. Or laughing. Smiling and laughing does help brighten a person’s outlook on life. People who are optimistic (no matter what), tend to live longer, happier lives.
Seems the same is true of daydreaming.
Erin Westgate, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida who has also published research on thinking for pleasure, wrote in an email:
“You’re essentially the director and screenwriter and actor and audience of this whole sort of mental production,” she said. “That’s a lot to manage. It requires a lot of working memory. It really taxes your ability to play all these simultaneous roles at the same time.”
Hmm, I don’t know about you, but that sounds a lot like the writing process.
If you’re interested, read the full article:
Daydreaming may help with covid stress. Here’s how to do it. – The Washington Post
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Maris,I do agree that daydreaming positive thoughts is very healthy. It’s also good for writer inspiration.
Right, Jacqueline. In my “daydreams” I send my characters to places I’ve never been and have them do things I would never be able to accomplish.
What an interesting post!I need to make more time to daydream.Thanks for sharingGood luck and God’s blessingsPamT
I wonder, Pamela, if writers have as much trouble daydreaming as people who aren’t writers. I don’t daydream about my life as much as I do about my characters’ lives.
Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. I didn’t think about it before, but part of the whole lockdown/pandemic experience and the stress it caused was the loss of looking forward to something. We were forced to pretty much live day to day and could not really plan for anything. I suppose that is what threw many people into depression. This does help to understand it better.
You’re right, Lucy. The lockdown took away those visits and events we looked forward to. Zoom helped a little, but only a little. Humans do need human contact and the ability to daydream. Thanks for your response.