Its Healthy for Children to Daydream

We live in a society that discourages children and youth from daydreaming. Have we ever asked ourselves why?    There are more negative connotations to daydreaming then there are positive.

However the lastest scientific evidence shows something different.  It shows that it is in fact healthy for people of all ages to daydream or as University of British Columbia professor, Kalina Christoff would say letting the  “mind -wander”.  

Contrary to what we believed that “nothing useful is being accomplished by daydreaming” it seems that it is actually in the process of daydreaming that complex problems of our day-to-day lives can be solved iwith the insights from daydreaming and that  periods of daydreaming where the brain relaxes helps the mind to concentrate in other cyclical periods of time.  Dr. Christoff says that of the average 14 waking hours/day we spend 4-5 hours in daydreaming.  

And again contrary to what we believe about the brain – during daydreaming it is extremely active.  The brain lights up – see this article

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511180702.htm

For  those of you wishing to lost weight, daydreaming  or mind- wandering burns alot of calories!! Daydreaming as a balance to focus and concentration is not just desirable, its mandatory for brain health.    So please, as part of supporting your child to be whole and healthy, encourage them to  use daydreaming and mind wandering as a tool for them to solve some of the dilemmas and challenges that they are facing in life as well as for the sheer fun and joy of it!!!