Don't Let Your Mind Drift Off While Reading This

Picture this: It’s Saturday night, and you’re at a party talking to the girl you’re been crushing on all semester. She’s listening attentively to everything you say—but then suddenly your phone buzzes, and you’re back at your desk with an unfinished p-set in front of you, the fantasy shattered.

Although it's easy to fall prey to daydreams, a recent psychology study would tell you this: a wandering mind may not be a happy mind.

This study—which was recently published in Science magazine—was conducted by Harvard Professor of Psychology Daniel Gilbert and graduate student Matthew A. Killingsworth. According to a recent article in the Harvard Gazette, the study states that most people’s minds wander frequently—but this does not make them happier when they come back to reality.

The study surveyed a random sample of 2,250 adults with a wide range of ages, socioeconomic backgrounds and occupations.  Participants were questioned through an iPhone application, which sent them text messages at random times of the day asking about their feelings, actions and thoughts, with the expectation that they would reply as soon as possible.

According to the results, 46.9 percent of the total responses reported mind wandering, or "stimulus independent thought." Unsurprisingly, most subjects daydreamed about pleasant topics rather than unpleasant and neutral ones.

However, the study indicates that good daydreams do not make people happier than staying engaged in current activities does. It also states that people are most likely to mind wander when they are resting, using the computer, and working. It is least likely to occur during exercise, conversation, and sexual activity.

So take note if you’re drifting off during lecture—those pleasant daydreams won’t make your life any better when you snap out of it.