Pondering thoughts comes without cost, yet their benefits, particularly during daydreaming, are worth exploring.
Daydreaming, often viewed as a form of mental escape, can actually serve as a powerful tool for boosting creativity and cognitive performance, according to recent research.
Fiona Waltraud Berle, a life coach for personal development in Munich and Stuttgart, suggests that daydreaming is often an escape from boredom. However, it can also be a source of inspiration and problem-solving, as she notes that often, after a daydream, the solution to a problem we've been pondering for a long time presents itself, more or less automatically.
A study conducted by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Neuroscience in Leipzig and the University of York in England found that certain brain structures responsible for cognitive control work more effectively together when we let our minds wander intentionally. This intentional daydreaming engages the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a system active during rest and mind-wandering that supports memory consolidation, emotional processing, self-reflection, and imagining others’ minds.
This state can paradoxically enhance cognitive control and performance by allowing access to deeper creative insights and problem-solving approaches beyond focused attention. Daydreaming acts as a bridge between focused cognitive control and creative thought, contributing positively to cognitive performance by facilitating insight, emotional regulation, and flexible thinking through activation of the DMN.
However, it's important to distinguish between mind-wandering that aids creativity and unproductive rumination, which consumes mental energy with stress-inducing thoughts unrelated to current goals. Intentional daydreaming steers the mind toward constructive reflection and imaginative problem-solving, thereby enhancing cognitive control rather than impairing it.
Looking at nature and putting aside or turning off one's smartphone can promote daydreaming, as suggested by Martina Holler, a psychotherapist from Ulrichstein, Hesse. Daydreams can take place at home or on a park bench, or while driving through the countryside, stimulating different brain areas and leading to creative solutions, according to Fiona Waltraud Berle.
Daydreaming during breaks while working on something with high concentration can contribute to relaxation. Recalling pictures from a beautiful trip and feeling the associated warmth can trigger daydreaming, as Martina Holler notes.
However, it's important to note that maladaptive daydreaming, where one invests too much time in daydreaming every day, can lead to neglecting daily duties, feeling burdened, and even depression, as Martina Holler warns.
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In essence, intentional daydreaming can be a valuable tool for boosting creativity, cognitive performance, and emotional regulation. By allowing the mind to wander intentionally, we can free mental resources and open pathways to innovation and adaptive cognitive strategies. But it's crucial to maintain a balance and avoid maladaptive daydreaming habits.
Daydreaming, often seen as a source of inspiration and problem-solving, can also boost creativity and cognitive performance according to researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Neuroscience and the University of York. This intentional daydreaming helps engage the brain’s default mode network, a system active during rest and mind-wandering that supports memory consolidation, emotional processing, and problem-solving.
Moreover, daydreaming can contribute positively to cognitive performance by facilitating insight, emotional regulation, and flexible thinking through activation of the default mode network, as noted by Fiona Waltraud Berle, a life coach specializing in personal development. This enhances cognitive control rather than impairing it, making it an essential tool within the fields of science, health-and-wellness, and mental-health.
