The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
The Times World News

.

It's normal for your mind to wander. Here's how to maximise the benefits

  • Written by Anchal Garg, Psychology researcher, Bond University
It's normal for your mind to wander. Here's how to maximise the benefits

Have you ever found yourself thinking about loved ones during a boring meeting? Or going over the plot of a movie you recently watched during a drive to the supermarket?

This is the cognitive phenomenon known as “mind wandering[1]”. Research suggests it can account for up to 50%[2] of our waking cognition (our mental processes when awake) in both western and non-western societies[3].

So what can help make this time productive and beneficial?

Mind wandering is not daydreaming

Mind wandering is often used interchangeably with daydreaming. They are both considered types of inattention but are not the same thing.

Mind wandering is related to a primary task, such as reading a book, listening to a lecture, or attending a meeting. The mind withdraws[4] from that task and focuses on internally generated, unrelated thoughts.

On the other hand, daydreaming does not involve a primary, active task. For example, daydreaming would be thinking about an ex-partner while travelling on a bus and gazing out the window. Or lying in bed and thinking about what it might be like to go on a holiday overseas.

If you were driving the bus or making the bed and your thoughts diverted from the primary task, this would be classed as mind wandering.

A woman sits by a window gazing out onto trees outside.
Daydreaming is not related to any task or stimulus. Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels, CC BY[5][6]

The benefits of mind wandering

Mind wandering is believed to play an important role in generating new ideas[7], conclusions or insights (also known as “aha! moments”). This is because it can give your mind a break and free it up to think more creatively.

This type of creativity does not always have to be related to creative pursuits (such as writing a song or making an artwork). It could include a new way to approach a university or school assignment or a project at work.Another benefit of mind wandering is relief from boredom, providing the opportunity to mentally retreat[8] from a monotonous task.

For example, someone who does not enjoy washing dishes could think about their upcoming weekend plans while doing the chore. In this instance, mind wandering assists in “passing the time” during an uninteresting task.

Mind wandering also tends to be future-oriented. This can provide an opportunity to reflect upon and plan[9] future goals, big or small. For example, what steps do I need to take to get a job after graduation? Or, what am I going to make for dinner tomorrow?

A person washes a glass in a sink, with dirty dishes on the side.
Letting your mind wander during tedious task can be a way of ‘retreating’. Cottonbro Studio/ Pexels, CC BY[10][11]

Read more: Alpha, beta, theta: what are brain states and brain waves? And can we control them?[12]

What are the risks?

Mind wandering is not always beneficial, however. It can mean you miss out on crucial information. For example, there could be disruptions in learning if a student engages in mind wandering during a lesson that covers exam details. Or an important building block for learning.

Some tasks also require a lot of concentration in order to be safe. If you’re thinking about a recent argument with a partner while driving, you run the risk of having an accident.

That being said, it can be more difficult for some people to control their mind wandering. For example, mind wandering is more prevalent[13] in people with ADHD.

Read more: How your brain decides what to think[14]

What can you do to maximise the benefits?

There are several things you can do to maximise the benefits of mind wandering.

  • be aware: awareness of mind wandering allows you to take note of and make use of any productive thoughts. Alternatively, if it is not a good time to mind wander it can help bring your attention back to the task at hand
A man writes in a diary.
Try and take note of things your realise when your mind wanders. Ketut Subiyanto/ Pexels, CC BY[15][16]
  • context matters: try to keep mind wandering to non-demanding tasks rather than demanding tasks. Otherwise, mind wandering could be unproductive[17] or unsafe. For example, try think about that big presentation during a car wash rather than when driving to and from the car wash

  • content matters: if possible, try to keep the content positive. Research has found[18], keeping your thoughts more positive, specific and concrete (and less about “you”), is associated with better wellbeing. For example, thinking about tasks to meet upcoming work deadlines could be more productive than ruminating about how you felt stressed or failed to meet past deadlines.

References

  1. ^ mind wandering (doi.org)
  2. ^ up to 50% (doi.org)
  3. ^ western and non-western societies (doi.org)
  4. ^ withdraws (www.frontiersin.org)
  5. ^ Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels (www.pexels.com)
  6. ^ CC BY (creativecommons.org)
  7. ^ generating new ideas (doi.org)
  8. ^ mentally retreat (doi.org)
  9. ^ reflect upon and plan (doi.org)
  10. ^ Cottonbro Studio/ Pexels (www.pexels.com)
  11. ^ CC BY (creativecommons.org)
  12. ^ Alpha, beta, theta: what are brain states and brain waves? And can we control them? (theconversation.com)
  13. ^ more prevalent (doi.org)
  14. ^ How your brain decides what to think (theconversation.com)
  15. ^ Ketut Subiyanto/ Pexels (www.pexels.com)
  16. ^ CC BY (creativecommons.org)
  17. ^ could be unproductive (doi.org)
  18. ^ has found (doi.org)

Read more https://theconversation.com/its-normal-for-your-mind-to-wander-heres-how-to-maximise-the-benefits-219490

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Yellow Canary partners with global payroll audit leader Celery to bring pre-payroll review technology to Australia

Payroll compliance is becoming tougher for Australian employers. Underpayment cases continue to do...

Noticing These 5 Issues? Contact an Emergency Plumber Now

The invisible arteries running through homes, plumbing systems, streamline daily life discreetly...

The Perfect Champagne Day Pairing: Luke Nguyen’s Chargrilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers

Celebrate Champagne Day on October 24th with this delicious recipe and elegant pairing from Luke Ngu...

Bribing kids to eat vegetables might backfire. Here’s what to do instead

It’s a tactic many parents know well: “eat two bites of broccoli, and then you can have desser...

Common Wall Mounting Challenges and How Professionals Solve Them

It is not always as easy as it seems to mount artwork, shelves, or TVs, since some difficulties are ...

Understanding Centrelink Investment Property Valuation: A Guide for Australian Property Owners

Introduction Owning an investment property in Australia can bring financial stability — but it al...

The climate crisis is fuelling extreme fires across the planet

We’ve all seen the alarming images. Smoke belching from the thick forests[1] of the Amazon. Sp...

Applications open for Future Cotton Leaders Program 2026

Applications have opened for the 2026 intake for the Australia Future Cotton Leaders Program (AFCL...

Optimising is just perfectionism in disguise. Here’s why that’s a problem

If you regularly scroll health and wellness content online, you’ve no doubt heard of optimisin...