Do we daydream anymore?

[pinkytoe]

I had to iron a shirt today for the first time in a long while. I set up the ironing board in front of a window where I could see the beautiful clouds while doing so. I started day dreaming in a way I haven't in a long while. It was meditative to press out the wrinkles while my thoughts wandered. It got me to thinking about how hard it is these days to be alone with our thoughts. We most often turn on a podcast or stare at our devices when confronted with quiet, idle time. I have been recently growing very bored with the internet as I get the sense that it is taking advantage of our increasingly short attention spans and sucks us into a black hole of mostly useless info. Anyway...I am going to try daydreaming more as it feels very old-fashioned and relaxing.

[HappyHiker]

I had to iron a shirt today for the first time in a long while. I set up the ironing board in front of a window where I could see the beautiful clouds while doing so. I started day dreaming in a way I haven't in a long while. It was meditative to press out the wrinkles while my thoughts wandered. It got me to thinking about how hard it is these days to be alone with our thoughts. We most often turn on a podcast or stare at our devices when confronted with quiet, idle time. I have been recently growing very bored with the internet as I get the sense that it is taking advantage of our increasingly short attention spans and sucks us into a black hole of mostly useless info. Anyway...I am going to try daydreaming more as it feels very old-fashioned and relaxing.

A very meaningful observation! It's true, one feels quite overwhelmed with the unending stream of news and gossip flung at us without respite. How necessary, at times, to disengage and cloud-watch. For me, it's watching the birds at our birdbath...some take such joy in bathing and splashing about--like kids in a wading pool..and the social hierarchy is also interesting to try to figure out...a refreshing pause--for them--and me.

I'm trying hard to reach a balance between staying informed and creative space where the mind can wander freely...

But I think I'll try to achieve that without the ironing..it's too darn hot right now...

[catherine]

Daydreaming is great, and I agree with you that there isn't as much of it as there used to be. I also agree that ironing is a great place to do it. I try to walk for 30 minutes a day, and I admit that I sometimes get bored unless I'm listening to an audiobook or podcast. Sometimes I choose to listen to the sounds of nature, but not as much as I feel I should.

Today is a beautiful day, particularly in my specific spot, where my house sits on the lake--the breeze is beautiful. It has been such nasty weather for such a long time, that this feels very special to sit on the lawn and... hmmm, post here, or daydream... . I think I'll shut my computer now and watch the sun go down.

[ToomuchStuff]

Unless your tired from mowing (and then I would fall asleep on one), a good old fashioned porch swing was what I found wonderful to daydream on.

[Rogar]

When I bicycle I find my mind wandering off, and I think there is something meditative about the repetitive motion and being out doors. I can see day dreaming while ironing.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a daydream, but I sometimes find myself memory mining and reviewing events and people from the past. If it's true what they say about a life review at the end, I may have some of that covered already. Maybe day dreaming i nvolves a lot of "what ifs" and how things might have turned out differently. I have an older friend who was a local rock star in the 60's but never made it big. She's said she could have been another Stevie Nicks if the breaks had been slightly different.

[happystuff]

I tend to view day-dreaming as more of a "let my thoughts wander where they want" kind of thing these days. I like to do Diamond Dotz crafting. It's tedious, exacting, almost boring, but it is still something I find satisfies that "do something productive" activity, while also allowing me to not have to concentrate on anything other than the craft itself. While doing it is when I find myself "day-dreaming".

Never know what to do with the pieces when completed, but this is one of those things that I like the process - again, probably because it allows my brain/mind to just wander.

[pinkytoe]

Taking a shower is another daydreaming locale for me. Sometimes I forget whether or not I washed my hair since I'm so far away in thoughts.

[KayLR]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that, Pinkytoe.��

[rosarugosa]

I let my thoughts range freely while I'm doing housework, gardening, walking, exercising, or making pottery. I have a strong preference for taking in information by reading, so I almost never listen to podcasts and I seldom watch videos. I just find myself impatient with those delivery modes. I almost always access the internet on my laptop rather than my phone (other than a quick google search). I think I probably spend more time online that I should, but not using my phone for internet helps to limit it. On the other hand, I'm trying to practice more mindfulness, which is kind of the opposite of daydreaming.

[LDAHL]

During college I worked in a factory. I found that eight hours of repetitive tasks made daydreaming almost essential. It had a sort of time dilation effect. I was often surprised when a shift ended. Maybe it was a sort of hypnosis.