The Art of Becoming – Chapter 9
Daydreaming
For most people, daydreaming can feel like a guilty indulgence. Our culture often tells us that an idle mind is wasted potential and that every moment must be put to practical use. And yet, there is power in allowing the mind to drift. Daydreaming is not a form of absence; it is actually quite the contrary. When used intentionally, it is a form of presence, one that takes you to places your conscious mind cannot easily go.
When we allow ourselves to imagine freely, without the constraints of goals or deadlines, we tap into the deeper realms of our subconscious. The images and thoughts that surface may seem scattered at first, but they are often rich with meaning. Within these thoughts are clues to what we truly desire, what troubles us, and what may inspire us. Daydreaming is an invitation to listen and to wander the paths of the psyche without agenda. It reveals the unspoken and the overlooked, allowing new ideas to emerge that strict, linear thinking would never have uncovered.
Scientists and psychologists have long studied this process of mental meandering. Scientific research into the brain’s default mode network has proved that daydreaming supports creativity, emotional resilience, and even better decision-making. When we stop forcing the mind to solve a problem and instead give it permission to play, it often returns to the issue with greater insight and clarity. This is no coincidence. Unstructured thought allows diverse regions of the brain to speak to one another, forging connections between thoughts and feelings that a more rigid process might suppress.
That is why daydreaming is not mere idleness. It is an active, subtle kind of work that frees us of our habitual thinking. It allows us to embrace nuance and recognize that answers are rarely found in straight lines, but rather in winding patterns that come naturally to the imaginative subconscious.
There are practical ways to invite this kind of mental wandering into your life. Carve out small pockets of time to do nothing in particular. Let your gaze unfocus as you look out a window, take a slow walk without a destination, or put on gentle music and simply listen. Give yourself permission to follow your thoughts wherever they lead. Avoid the temptation to immediately judge them as useful or as trivial.
You can also reflect on your daydreams afterward. Were there recurring images or emotions that felt especially vivid? Consider writing them down; not because you must analyze them, but because they can help you recognize patterns you might have missed. What you dream about in these quiet spaces is often more telling than what you consciously chase during busy hours.
So much of what feels elusive about our emotions and choices becomes clearer this way. We cannot always force understanding; sometimes, we must make room for it to arrive.
This practice also reminds us that not every part of life must be purposeful to matter. The joy of imagination is its own kind of nourishment. Giving ourselves permission to drift can reduce stress, unbind our minds, and reawaken our sense of wonder. What may appear to others as wasted time is often the fertile soil from which resilience and creativity grow.
Daydreaming is not an escape from life but a return to its deeper currents. It is to recognize that within you lies a world more spacious and mysterious than any list of accomplishments. It invites you to return to yourself as you are. And when you listen closely, you may discover that what you thought was idleness was, in fact, the most vital work of all.
I urge you to ask yourself:
How often do I give myself permission to let my mind wander without judgment?
What kinds of thoughts, images, or emotions tend to surface when I allow myself this space?
Brooke Desieus 