Daydreaming could increase productivity, says study
| Jan 30, 2019, 16:13 IST
Daydreaming, we’ve all done it at some point in time. It begins with an honest effort of trying to do the assigned task. But the task is boring or monotonous perhaps. Of course, your mind wanders to do different things. Is it the beach holiday you’ve been planning for weeks? Or what you are going to wear for an important event in the coming weekend. Daydreaming has always been regarded as a bad thing as it distracts the person from doing the designated thought. While daydreaming definitely not the most recommended thing do while you’re driving, but would it really be such a bad thing while you’re just doing a menial job at work or home? Maybe, maybe not.
The research team from Georgia Institute of Technology took upon themselves to find out. Headed by Kelsey Merlo, the researchers decided to take a new approach to study the old-fashion question of why people daydream and how does it affect one’s productivity.
The comprehensive study conducted by Merlo and her associates took a person-centered approach in which participants provided, in their own words, the causes of their daydreaming, the content of their daydreams, and the results they felt followed from the mind-wandering interlude.
The participants provided outcomes of mind-wandering episodes, which helped the team, come to a conclusion. While some described negative impacts such as feeling guilty about being drifted off from work, some said the daydream put them in good mood and they ended up working harder to make up for the lost time.
In conclusion, the findings suggest that the occasional daydream, especially the one that allows you to unfocus and then refocus, can be one of the best ways to become better at what you’re doing.
If there’s any truth to the above statement, we didn’t mind the daydream sesh we just had, too!
The research team from Georgia Institute of Technology took upon themselves to find out. Headed by Kelsey Merlo, the researchers decided to take a new approach to study the old-fashion question of why people daydream and how does it affect one’s productivity.
The comprehensive study conducted by Merlo and her associates took a person-centered approach in which participants provided, in their own words, the causes of their daydreaming, the content of their daydreams, and the results they felt followed from the mind-wandering interlude.
The participants provided outcomes of mind-wandering episodes, which helped the team, come to a conclusion. While some described negative impacts such as feeling guilty about being drifted off from work, some said the daydream put them in good mood and they ended up working harder to make up for the lost time.
In conclusion, the findings suggest that the occasional daydream, especially the one that allows you to unfocus and then refocus, can be one of the best ways to become better at what you’re doing.
If there’s any truth to the above statement, we didn’t mind the daydream sesh we just had, too!