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It’s normal for your mind to wander. Here’s how to maximise the benefits

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dr-anchal-garg-1491247">Dr Anchal Garg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-watt-1486350">Bruce Watt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p>Have you ever found yourself thinking about loved ones during a boring meeting? Or going over the plot of a movie you recently watched during a drive to the supermarket?</p> <p>This is the cognitive phenomenon known as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.01.002">mind wandering</a>”. Research suggests it can account for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044423">up to 50%</a> of our waking cognition (our mental processes when awake) in both <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439">western and non-western societies</a>.</p> <p>So what can help make this time productive and beneficial?</p> <h2>Mind wandering is not daydreaming</h2> <p>Mind wandering is often used interchangeably with daydreaming. They are both considered types of inattention but are not the same thing.</p> <p>Mind wandering is related to a primary task, such as reading a book, listening to a lecture, or attending a meeting. The mind <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00560/full">withdraws</a> from that task and focuses on internally generated, unrelated thoughts.</p> <p>On the other hand, daydreaming does not involve a primary, active task. For example, daydreaming would be thinking about an ex-partner while travelling on a bus and gazing out the window. Or lying in bed and thinking about what it might be like to go on a holiday overseas.</p> <p>If you were driving the bus or making the bed and your thoughts diverted from the primary task, this would be classed as mind wandering.</p> <h2>The benefits of mind wandering</h2> <p>Mind wandering is believed to play an important role in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612446024">generating new ideas</a>, conclusions or insights (also known as “aha! moments”). This is because it can give your mind a break and free it up to think more creatively.</p> <p>This type of creativity does not always have to be related to creative pursuits (such as writing a song or making an artwork). It could include a new way to approach a university or school assignment or a project at work.<br />Another benefit of mind wandering is relief from boredom, providing the opportunity to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031569">mentally retreat</a> from a monotonous task.</p> <p>For example, someone who does not enjoy washing dishes could think about their upcoming weekend plans while doing the chore. In this instance, mind wandering assists in “passing the time” during an uninteresting task.</p> <p>Mind wandering also tends to be future-oriented. This can provide an opportunity to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.08.007">reflect upon and plan</a> future goals, big or small. For example, what steps do I need to take to get a job after graduation? Or, what am I going to make for dinner tomorrow?</p> <h2>What are the risks?</h2> <p>Mind wandering is not always beneficial, however. It can mean you miss out on crucial information. For example, there could be disruptions in learning if a student engages in mind wandering during a lesson that covers exam details. Or an important building block for learning.</p> <p>Some tasks also require a lot of concentration in order to be safe. If you’re thinking about a recent argument with a partner while driving, you run the risk of having an accident.</p> <p>That being said, it can be more difficult for some people to control their mind wandering. For example, mind wandering is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112901">more prevalent</a> in people with ADHD.</p> <h2>What can you do to maximise the benefits?</h2> <p>There are several things you can do to maximise the benefits of mind wandering.</p> <ul> <li><strong>be aware</strong>: awareness of mind wandering allows you to take note of and make use of any productive thoughts. Alternatively, if it is not a good time to mind wander it can help bring your attention back to the task at hand</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <p><strong>context matters</strong>: try to keep mind wandering to non-demanding tasks rather than demanding tasks. Otherwise, mind wandering <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00441">could be unproductive</a> or unsafe. For example, try think about that big presentation during a car wash rather than when driving to and from the car wash</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>content matters</strong>: if possible, try to keep the content positive. Research <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00900">has found</a>, keeping your thoughts more positive, specific and concrete (and less about “you”), is associated with better wellbeing. For example, thinking about tasks to meet upcoming work deadlines could be more productive than ruminating about how you felt stressed or failed to meet past deadlines.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. 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More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> </li> </ul> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dr-anchal-garg-1491247"><em>Dr Anchal Garg</em></a><em>, Psychology researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-watt-1486350">Bruce Watt</a>, Associate Professor in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-normal-for-your-mind-to-wander-heres-how-to-maximise-the-benefits-219490">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Hero tradie’s daring move saves toddler who wandered onto busy street

<p>In an awe-inspiring act of bravery that will leave you breathless, shocking <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tradie-scary-move-save-child-095600259.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dash cam footage</a> has captured a heart-pounding moment that will forever be etched in the annals of heroism. </p> <p>Laurie Owens, a true guardian angel who fearlessly soared into action on the Salisbury Highway in Adelaide, embarked on a heart-stopping mission to save a young child's life, giving no thought to his own safety or that of his vehicle</p> <p>It was just another day for working tradie Laurie Owens as he navigated the bustling roadways. But with eagle eyes and a heart tuned to protect, Laurie spotted a young boy, still adorned in his nappy, wandering innocently into the treacherous path of oncoming vehicles on a busy highway.</p> <p>In a surge of adrenalin-fuelled heroism, Owens sprang into action as – u<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">ndeterred by the imminent danger, he gallantly mounted the median strip and fearlessly directed his own vehicle into the path of the charging traffic, all in an effort to shield the toddler from harm's way. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">His words echo with undying determination: "I'd rather take the damage of a car running into me because I'm safe rather than the child be killed because what protection do they have?" he told 9News. </span></p> <p>In a dazzling display of divine intervention, the unsuspecting little boy, named Aaryan, instinctively turned and bolted towards the safety of his family driveway, under the watchful gaze of Owens.</p> <p>Owens then gathered the child in his arms, poised to reunite him with his worried parents, who confirmed that Aaryan was indeed their precious child. The driveway gates had been left ajar, allowing the child, who grapples with autism, to embark on an unplanned adventure onto the perilous road.</p> <p>In the tearful aftermath, Aaryan's mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, expressed her deepest appreciation, declaring, "Thank you, I'm really grateful that [he] saved my child."</p> <p>For Owens, the humble champion of this heart-stopping saga, the joy of knowing that the little boy made it home safely was an immeasurable reward. Bursting with pride, he triumphantly proclaimed, "I've saved a kid's life. He's got a future now!"</p> <p><em>Images: 9 News</em></p>

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Our minds may be wandering more during the pandemic — and this can be a good thing

<p>Many feel the coronavirus pandemic has changed not just our everyday lives, but also our inner mental lives. There has been talk of a <a href="https://www.mhvic.org.au/images/PDF/Submission/MHV_input_Mental_Health_Pandemic_Response_Plan.pdf">mental health pandemic</a>, but also of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-10-07/what-is-brain-fog-and-what-causes-it/12734948">lockdown brain fog when we are awake</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-changing-our-dreams/">reports of more frequent, vivid, and bizarre dreams when we are asleep</a>.</p> <p>We tend to think of our waking and dream lives as separate. But it is striking how deeply they are linked.</p> <p>Spontaneous thought, or mind wandering, occupies <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015331">up to 50% of wakefulness</a>. Our thoughts and attention frequently drift away from what we are doing and what is happening in our immediate surroundings, with one thought following another along an associative trajectory.</p> <p>Spontaneous thoughts and experiences are also pervasive in sleep. The clearest example is dreaming, which has been described as an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00412/full">intensified form of the mind wandering</a> that happens when we are awake.</p> <p>Considering dreaming and mind wandering together suggests the fluctuations in spontaneous experience, the natural ebb and flow of attention and somewhat erratic trajectory of thoughts continue throughout waking and sleep.</p> <p>In normal circumstances, we mostly <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015331">remain oblivious to the fact our minds have wandered</a>. Most people also only rarely remember their dreams, but when awakened in the sleep laboratory can report multiple dreams per night. Like mind wandering, dreaming is also largely (with the exception of certain <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30880167/">lucid dreams</a>) beyond our control.</p> <p>However, attention to our inner lives may be amplified at a time when control over our everyday lives is elusive.</p> <p>Paying attention to your dreams when you first wake up in the morning drastically increases dream recall. And <a href="http://journalpsyche.org/articles/0xc138.pdf">attempting to harness our thoughts and attention throughout the day</a> can actually make us more aware of our failures, including lapses in attention. If you have been paying more attention to your spontaneous thoughts during the pandemic, you might have become more aware of what was were there all along.</p> <p><strong>Changes in spontaneous thought — for better or worse</strong></p> <p>If you have been <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30838-1">sleeping more during lockdown</a>, you are probably experiencing more early morning REM sleep. Because REM sleep is typically associated with the most vivid and complex dreams, this might lead to an increase in actual dreaming.</p> <p>If you have also ditched your alarm clock, you are probably awakening directly from REM sleep, which further increases dream recall.</p> <p>The pandemic has also changed what we daydream and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-changing-our-dreams/">dream about.</a> Waking concerns about the pandemic seem paralleled by more frequent nightmares and dreams <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573961/full">about topics such as social distancing, contagion, or personal protective equipment</a>.</p> <p>Some changes to our spontaneous mental lives can indicate something is amiss. Anxiety and stress are linked to increased repetitive thoughts and rumination; trouble focusing, disturbed sleep, nightmares, and unpleasant dreams, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-changing-our-dreams/">all of which seem to have increased during the pandemic</a>.</p> <p>These repetitive, sticky and non-progressive thoughts <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn.2016.113">contrast with the free, meandering movement that characterises most dreams and mind wandering</a>.</p> <p><strong>Spontaneous thought might be beneficial</strong></p> <p>The restlessness of our minds might also have a silver lining. Mind wandering certainly does compromise how well we perform tasks demanding attention. But because of their associative nature, dreams and mind wandering can also help make new connections and see familiar topics in a new light. When our minds wander, our thoughts are often drawn to the <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190464745.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190464745">future and personal concerns</a>.</p> <p>Similarly, dreams have the tendency to weave disparate waking experiences and concerns into new and sometimes bizarre narratives. You might encounter a dream character who is a mixture of different people you have been close to at different times in your life.</p> <p>Or your initially pleasant dream of visiting friends in a faraway city might morph into a nightmare about getting infected, putting your family at risk, and being pursued by the police because you are breaching lockdown.</p> <p>Spontaneous thoughts in waking and sleep might help process memories and guide future planning and decision making, for example by enabling us to imagine alternative courses of action; they can also be a source of insight and creativity.</p> <p>Such thoughts may also contribute to coping and emotional processing. Future-oriented mind wandering is often <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190464745.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190464745">positive, whereas past-oriented mind wandering tends to be associated with negative moods and emotions</a>.</p> <p><strong>A great escape</strong></p> <p>Being in the here and now is often lauded as a virtue we should aim to cultivate through mindfulness. But sometimes, distraction can be useful: <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-015-0993-2">Mind wandering can provide a welcome break from boring tasks</a>, allowing us to return with refreshed attention.</p> <p>Other times, distraction might just be pleasant. In our dreams, we experience alternative realities; we can travel freely and, because <a href="https://open-mind.net/papers/the-avatars-in-the-machine-dreaming-as-a-simulation-of-social-reality">dreams are rich in social interactions</a>, we can interact with people we are separated from in waking life.</p> <p>Given the monotony, restrictions, and social isolation many of us are experiencing, the unruliness and unboundedness of our minds might sometimes be a great escape.</p> <p><em>If you are interested in joining a study on mind wandering and dreaming, please email spontaneous.experiences.sr@gmail.com.</em></p> <p><em>Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-windt-1153552">Jennifer Windt</a>, Monash University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-minds-may-be-wandering-more-during-the-pandemic-and-this-can-be-a-good-thing-145764">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

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QLD truck driver narrowly misses wandering toddler

<p>Horrifying dash cam footage of a Queensland truck driver narrowly missing a toddler wandering onto the road has emerged this week.</p> <p>The footage, recorded earlier this month near Childers in North Queensland shows a child absentmindedly walking into the middle of the road.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">SHOCK NEAR MISS: Dash cam captures the moment a toddler walks into path of oncoming truck. Click link for full story <a href="https://t.co/lzVQYwM9cZ">https://t.co/lzVQYwM9cZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/El79kPNH6z">pic.twitter.com/El79kPNH6z</a></p> — Big Rigs Newspaper (@BigRigsnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigRigsnews/status/889653149220450305">July 25, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>The truck driver, Niell Graham, spots the youngster and brakes, moments before disaster.</p> <p>Graham told News Corp, “I saw very small child about two years of age on the road. By the time I came to a stop the child turned around and ran back.”</p> <p>That child is so lucky. It just goes to show you how important it is to be vigilant when supervising children. </p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.disconline.com.au/car/your_details.jsp?hSty=EXOS&amp;cgpCde=00272&amp;hCenCde=10737&amp;LinkId=12071&amp;utm_campaign=insurance&amp;utm_medium=in-article-banner-car-1&amp;utm_content=car-insurance" target="_blank"><img src="http://media.oversixty.com.au/images/EditorialAddon/201706_CarInsurance_EditorialAddon_468x60_1.gif" alt="Over60 Car Insurance - Get a quote!"/></a></p>

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Young woman gives a lift to 93-year-old wandering on a busy road

<p>A US woman is appealing to young people all over the world to reach out to elderly members of the community after she had a life-changing encounter with a lonely 93-year-old named Isabelle.</p> <p>Tara Murphy from Virginia spotted Isabelle walking down a road in her hometown and stopped to offer a lift. “Tears came to her eyes,” Murphy said on Facebook of the elderly woman, who had been forced to move from her home after the death of her son.</p> <p>During the drive into town, the nonagenarian Native American shared stories of her youth and her life. “As we drove she pointed out the mountain she was born on, told me the very roads we were driving [on] were once dirt and [how] she’d walked them when she was young,” Murphy wrote. “She spoke of her five husbands, first being wed when she was just 13 years old. She told me stories of Pearl Harbor and the Hindenburg. She was amazing, full of life and laughter.”</p> <p>Murphy drove Isabelle to the grocery store and then to her home, giving her a card with her name and number in case she ever needed another lift.</p> <p>“I probably will never hear from Isabelle, potentially will never see her again,” Murphy concedes. “But she gave me one of the most incredible mini adventures by allowing me to travel back into time to experience the stories of her life. I hope Isabelle is okay, that knows she is incredible and touched my life today.</p> <p>“Let this be a lesson for anyone who has a gut instinct to reach out and help a stranger.”</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, have you ever reached out to help a stranger?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/elderly-couple-dance-to-uptown-funk/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Elderly couple capture hearts with dance at a restaurant</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/grandma-surprised-with-monster-truck-experience/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Daughters surprise monster truck-obsessed mum with high-octane adventure</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/grandma-surprised-with-musical-flash-mob/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Musical-loving grandma surprised with flash mob on 85th birthday</strong></em></span></a></p>

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New invention prevents dementia patients wandering off

<p>We’ve looked at some of the incredible <a href="/health/caring/2016/05/technology-is-revolutionising-aged-care/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">technological advancements</span></strong></a> assisting the elderly before, but we think this simple, ingenious invention is one of the best yet.</p> <p>After watching her mother care for countless dementia sufferers over her 15-year career, Natalie Price was inspired to create a device to help patients and their loved ones. That’s how she came up with Proximity – a new smart sensor which prevents dementia sufferers wandering off.</p> <p>The device is a small and discreet magnetic badge which can be easily attached to the patient’s clothes. Via Bluetooth, the sensor will send the carer a notification if their loved one goes outside of a pre-set range of about 20 metres.</p> <p>Proximity could be a life-saver for people who find themselves constantly losing their loved ones when out at the supermarket or any large public space. According to Price’s <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/proximity-alerts-you-when-a-loved-one-wanders-off#/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Indiegogo</span></strong></a> crowdfunding page, more than 60 per cent of dementia sufferers will wander off, and if they aren’t found within 24 hours, there is a very high risk of accidental injury or death.</p> <p>To find out more about this smart device, <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/proximity-alerts-you-when-a-loved-one-wanders-off#/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>, and tell us in the comments below – what do you think can be done to prevent dementia patients from wandering away?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/06/dealing-with-death-in-the-digital-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Tips for dealing with death in the digital world</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/05/this-mobile-game-is-helping-fight-dementia/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>This mobile game is helping fight dementia</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/health/caring/2016/05/technology-is-revolutionising-aged-care/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Technology is revolutionising aged care</strong></em></span></a></p>

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