There is a profound difference between the boredom that arises from being unoccupied and the stillness that accompanies a good daydream. In this era of digital distractions it is easy to keep yourself and your mind busy with endless videos, information, and headlines to process and file, as if your mind were a highly paid executive secretary. And that’s a shame.

In the same way that people need personal time and space, our minds need a chance to relax, to wander freely, to putter about.

Most of us have had a ‘shower’ idea; that lovely experience when an ingenious idea, or a solution to a problem arrives spontaneously while we are gently occupied with something routine. The ‘back of our mind’, hits upon an answer as if by magic. There is no hocus-pocus, it’s simply allowing your mind to free dance without the constraints imposed by concentration.

Beyond problem solving, there is power in daydreaming. The ability to see yourself in a different situation can be motivational, or at least refreshing.

Enjoy a mere ten minutes without distractions. Daydream. Gaze out the window without intent. Your brain, your mind, will appreciate a bit of personal space just to be. Daydreaming is not boring, let it happen, see where your mind takes you. 

Keep your joy.

Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger, unless it’s a holiday weekend. Or summertime. Facebook or email.