Mind-Wandering

Focusing too much on the past or the future can lead to dissatisfaction with the present moment and a constant desire for things to be better in an imaginary life that doesn’t exist. Being present, accepting, and appreciating life as it is leads to greater happiness and joy.

The Average Person Spends 47% of Their Time Thinking About the Past or the Future

The Famous Mindwandering Study

In 2010, Harvard psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert used a special "track your happiness" iPhone app to look at mind-wandering habits. They asked several thousand people to answer three questions when they were called at random times during the day. They found that we spend at least half our time thinking about something other than our immediate surroundings, and most of this daydreaming doesn't make us happy. They asked:

1. What were you doing at the time of the call?

2. What were you thinking about at that time?

3. At that moment, rate their emotions on a scale of one to ten. 

They found that 47% of the time, people were doing one thing but actually thinking about something else. Perhaps even more interestingly, these people reported being consistently happier when they were thinking about what they were doing vs. when they were thinking about something else. Similar results were found in follow-up studies. This suggests that about half the time, people are not paying attention to the present moment, and we can improve happiness by simply returning our attention to where we are and what we are doing.

When we time-travel, we may recall experiences from the past or the future that can influence our body and our mind in the present. These experiences are not real; they are imagined or recalled experiences, but they can be very stressful. Learning to be consciously in the present moment has tremendous positive consequences.

Too much mind travel or attention focused on past or imagined future experiences can result in preoccupations or obsessive thought patterns, leading to depression or unhappiness. Worrying about the future contributes to anxiety. Excessive mind wandering can also lead to struggles with acceptance and forgiveness and getting caught in the bias toward negativity. The skill is to learn to enjoy your life by being fully present wherever you are, to notice when your mind wanders, and to practice bringing yourself back to the present, even when it is unpleasant. Try to develop the capacity to accept what is happening without constantly wanting something different or to be somewhere else.

So, if it is true that we are time-traveling, mind-wandering, or getting lost in thought for half of our lives, this may explain why so many people have misguided thoughts far removed from reality and why many people are unhappy. When people are paying attention to the present moment, they are likely to be happier and more grounded in reality. One of the first skills to try to develop to improve control over thoughts is to notice when you are thinking about the past or the future and bring your attention back to the present moment.

Mental Time Travel

Being Present

Being Fully Present

Being fully present leads us back to the moment and helps us remember that the present moment is all that we have, so happiness has to begin in the here and now with us accepting the way things are. Some people seem to naturally understand this, but for those who worry excessively, this present-moment thought pattern is a skill that needs to be practiced daily. This skill helps us regulate the volume and intensity of thoughts because we naturally stop worrying about many future things that we cannot control, and we spend more time thinking about or focusing on today and the things we can control or do now. The skill is to learn to be fully present in your life and keep your attention on whatever you are doing.

It is easy to be in the present moment when things are great.  If you are on the beach, the sun feels great, and you have the afternoon to relax; it is easy to enjoy the present moment. When you are cooking for family, both kids are screaming, you are tired from lack of sleep, and your partner takes the afternoon to play golf, you don’t enjoy the moment so much. These are times when we are more inclined to mind wander. Daydreaming is different than Mind Wandering. It might help us anticipate upcoming events or think about how to solve a problem. A little mind wandering might be a good coping skill in these situations but we must remember to balance this need with present moment life.

How Time Impacts Thoughts

It is helpful to think about the effect that time has on thoughts. What we recall from the past or what we imagine might happen in the future is never very accurate. Why? Because we are by necessity removed in time from the actual events of the past or the future. They may be far away in time and distorted by everything that has happened since and even before their occurrence. We have access to the present moment, the only moment in which we can live, love, or exist. When we are in the moment or thinking about what is happening now, we are much more likely to be able to use our senses and see what is there. This allows us to see the world the way it is rather than the imagined, polished, filtered, and accepted version that we construct in our thoughts.

Daydreaming Vs. Mindwandering

Daydreaming is a more positive and constructive form of internal reflection.  When it is intentional and with awareness, it can lead to:  1) Creative problem-solving. 2) Planning for the future. 3) Insight. 4) “Visioning” positive outcomes.

Mind Wandering is off-task thoughts during an ongoing task or activity, or difficulty performing current tasks due to:  1) Rumination and worry. 2) Distractibility.  3) “Visioning” catastrophic outcomes.

Daydreaming is the ability to ‘decouple’ from the environment into a series of thoughts that are completely unrelated to the situation at hand. It can seem unintentional, and some might get upset because they don’t want it to happen, but primarily, it allows people to think about things they can’t see. It plays a very important role in helping us see the ‘big picture’.

“Without mind wandering, we would be stuck in the moment. We would never be able to escape the daily tedium of a traffic jam or a long meeting. Our lives would be one-dimensional, lacking colour, ambition, and insight.” Dr. Smallwood

Mindwandering

The Brain is like a tape player with controls:

Rewind Play Fast Forward

<<                     >                        >>

Past                     Present               Future

Regretting           Attention        Predicting

Reliving            *AWM          Catastrophizing

Ruminating       Performance      Worry

  • AWM Active Working Memory

Reduce “Time Travel”

Be Present In The Moment

We can go back in time to recall past events or travel in our minds into the future to imagine what might happen. This is a wonderful ability, but it comes at a cost, and managing this ability and understanding its implications can be a real challenge. When engaged in “time travel,” a specific brain network, called the Default Mode Network (DMN), is activated. When this network is activated, we tend to feel less happy.

Excessive activation of this network can contribute to negative self-talk, particularly if you recall and focus on past negative events. A good way to balance this is to shift your attention to the present and focus on a specific task. This activates a different brain network, the Task Positive Network (TPN), which is active during attention-demanding tasks.

The task you are doing isn't as important as keeping your mind fully engaged in whatever you are doing. You might try cleaning a room, doing laundry, washing your pet, reading, watching TV, or playing a video game. Mental exercises, such as noticing things in the room or designing your dream house, are other examples of shifting your attention to a task-positive network. This simple strategy, which can be practiced over time, has been shown to improve mood by 20-30%.

Practice noticing when you are thinking about the past or the future, and try to shift your focus to the present moment or to a positive task. Stay fully present in the moment as much as possible. Mindfulness is non-judgmental present-moment awareness.

Bring Your Mind Back To Where You Are

Small strategies to help you Be More Present In the Moment:

Being present in the moment improves mood by about 25% when compared to focusing on the past or the future

  • Notice when you are time-traveling (thinking about the past or the future) and bring yourself back to the present moment.

  • Be satisfied with how things are in the moment, even when things are not great.

    • Say “Everything is going to work out,” “It is what it is,” or “Life does not always go my way,” and practice acceptance of the present moment even when it is difficult.

  • Notice when you are being judgmental or closed-minded about the present moment.

  • Notice positive things about the present moment

  • Reduce information intake to avoid overstimulation

  • Use Mindful Breathing to anchor yourself in the present

  • Use single-tasking to reduce distractions and stay focused on whatever you are doing

  • Take a nature walk and focus on savoring the beauty (not thinking about your worries)

  • Practice Mindful Eating to help you slow down and enjoy yourself

  • Try a body scan or open awareness meditation to ground you in the present