5 Reasons Why You Should Let Your Mind Wander

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We all admit to the fact that when we were kids, to us the world was a canvas, blank and ready to be painted in whatever way we wanted to. But with time, we grew into adults and out thoughts got grounded to reality and now we hardly imagine of anything without thinking whether it is possible or not. And it might be surprising for you to know that wandering or daydreaming helps your mind a lot.

Despite the bad reputation that wandering or daydreaming has, there are actual benefits from it and if harnessed in a proper manner can certainly help us in outweighing our negativities of the mind. This will only make your brain better at its processes and functioning making you psychology stronger.

Here are 5 reasons for wandering’s significance:

1. It is indeed a part of your intellect: Studies have proven that letting the mind wander is its own way of finding out otherwise unsolved problems. While all of us base ourselves on choices to achieve goals, wandering is the process that lets you go beyond this basing to gaining the ability to achieve goals. While it is the IQ that is considered important for skills, there are many other characteristics that come in the play when we let our minds wander.
2. It is important for the development of a child: What makes a child more child-like is the ability to imagine. However, whether it be Santa or Spiderman or Cindrella, A child’s imagination is more than just moments of happiness and bliss. Studies have proven that imagination adds to and develops a child’s cognitive abilities. Moreover, it also helps them to understand reality later on in their life. Wall Street Journal reports also give evidence to the fact that wandering or imagining let a child take the perspective of someone else.
3. It enhances your memory: While a famous notion about wandering is that we create imaginary situations and scenarios in our minds with it, what you may not know is that wandering can actually sharpen our memories. According to reports by the American Psychological Association, having a personal perspective while imagining something (or self-imagination) can be greatly effective in recalling specific information, sometimes even on command. Thus, wandering can help in memory rehabilitation for the people who have suffered from brain injury.
4. It makes you empathetic: Wandering allows us to place ourselves in situations of other people. This enables us to feel how they might be feeling. And this makes us be more empathetic towards them. Thus we see that wandering is not only important for creativity but also for an empathetic experience. J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, in her 2008 Harvard commencement address said that the most revelatory capacity of wandering or imagination is to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never ever shared.
5. It is a portal to self-discovery: The journey of wandering begins with an idea. And this very idea has the potential to provide for a world of opportunities. Imagining helps you devise your plans in your head. While helping you focus your attention to what you want, wandering can for real help your brain map the path to your goal outside your consciousness. In the words of Dr. Srini Pillay, M.D, assistant clinical professor, Harvard Medical School, “Imagining activates brain regions that can unconsciously map your path to success.”

These 5 points show the importance of wandering for our mind. So, the next time your mind tends to wander, let it. You will know how imaginative you can really be.

Theresa Perez

Theresa Perez is a seasoned writer for the health industry dedicated to providing fact-based health information. She sources concise facts from authoritative sources to ensure maximum credibility and shares guidelines to lead a healthy lifestyle.