Your Wandering Mind is Just Fine: How to Stop Worrying When You Can’t Focus
When you are sitting somewhere or walking around and find your mind wandering, it is okay to wonder why you simply cannot stop and focus for five minutes. While most literature paints your mind wandering as detrimental, even dysfunctional, it is natural to have a wandering mind. Find out why it is okay and how to stop worrying about it.
Let’s Wander
When your mind wanders to other things, it is not a sign you are distracted. It is actually a sign of higher executive functioning, creativity, and brain power. People who have a wandering mind actually are more efficient than those who tend to stay focused. Efficiency means a greater capacity to think. People carrying brains may be more likely to notice their minds wandering while performing menial tasks. While it may take some time for people to learn how to cope, it is okay to daydream and some even really enjoy it.
Research Says
Research is sketchy on this subject with small sample sizes and inconclusive results. Overall, daydreaming is not a bad way to spend your time. It can actually help you externalize events happening in your life and support creative solutions to problems. If you are wandering with your brain, you are likely seeking solutions to problems that have arisen.
Coping with Brain Wander
If your brain is highly efficient, you might let your brain wander more often. Routine tasks can set off your wandering into the great beyond. If you wander during conversations or presentations, you might want to get it back and focused. You are following your brain to do the thinking for your whole life, not just focusing on what needs to be done right now. You need to get focused and set a goal for the moment. It helps to:
- Set a timer and not let your mind wander longer than that allotted time
- Set time to let your mind wander during the day so it wanders less other times
- Seek help if your brain wanders more than it stays focused
There is a huge tendency to worry about people who let their minds wander in and out during meetings or during every day event. Of course you want to be focused at work but let’s be honest. Those meetings can drone on and sometimes going to recovery group meetings after awhile can be mundane. The key is to remember why you are where you are and to get focused for the moment. Don’t let anything stop you from keeping your focus in recovery, not even your own mind.
The Palmetto Center is based on a Therapeutic Community model. We help people learn how to live free of addiction. Our community support provides structure while trained counselors offer life skills training and therapeutic techniques to help you move past addiction. Our program provides special focus for professionals including chiropractors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more who need help with addiction recovery. Call us to find out more: 866-848-3001.
