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How to Stop DayDreaming

A healthy, active imagination is an essential quality of a creative individual. However, when your imagination becomes overactive and gives way to excessive daydreaming, you're liable to develop problems focusing and concentrating. Fortunately, you can take a number of steps to break the hold of habitual daydreaming.

  1. Creative Endeavors

    • Regularly participating in creative endeavors is an effective way to curb excessive daydreaming. Creative hobbies, such as writing, painting, drawing and music, provide daydreamers with appropriate outlets for self-expression. By channeling thoughts and emotions usually expressed through daydreaming into these hobbies, you greatly reduce the chance of daydreams taking a hold of you at inappropriate times. If your daydreaming is particularly relentless, make a point of devoting time to creative endeavors every day.

    Stay Grounded in Reality

    • While there's nothing wrong with fantasizing in small doses, staying grounded in reality is an important step in stopping excessive daydreaming. People who lead secluded, socially withdrawn lives have a tendency to fantasize frequently and slip into daydreams at the drop of a hat. However, by maintaining healthy relationships with the people around you, working a job you enjoy and leading an active life, you will begin to feel more fulfilled in reality, thus diminishing the need for daydreams.

    A Good Night's Sleep

    • Getting eight hours of rest each night can play a vital role in doing away with daydreams. People who suffer from such afflictions as insomnia and sleep deprivation are far more likely to drift off into daydreams and be consumed by fantasies than their well-rested counterparts. Additionally, not getting enough rest can lead to serious concentration problems. To ensure that you don't have trouble getting to sleep at night, limit your caffeine intake and get plenty of exercise throughout the day.

    Boosting Concentation

    • Heightening one's concentration skills is another way to cut back on daydreaming. Every time you catch yourself in the act of slipping into a daydream, make a conscious choice to stop yourself. In addition, consistently doing concentration-building exercises such as reading, writing and puzzle-solving will help strengthen your ability to focus on the task at hand. Video game enthusiasts can boost their concentration skills with the help of games including Brain Age and Zenses.

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