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Post by madamebovary on May 13, 2019 8:25:05 GMT
Hi guys, new member here.
I find that the way I think in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, and if i start out by daydreaming, I will not be present in my real life for the entire day. Focusing on school/work and socally interacting becomes nearly impossible. But since the morning consists of routine after routine, I find it very hard to avoid that my thoughts slip into daydreams when I'm showering or taking the train.
Do you have any useful tips on how to distract your thoughts from daydreaming when doing boring tasks? I feel like it's a fight between emotional satisfaction (from the daydream) and rational reasoning that only has long-term reward and no immediate gratification (not daydreaming). Therefore, it is a tiring struggle to keep from daydreaming and a relief to give into it - which I honestly often do only to regret it later in the day.
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Post by Dimmer on May 14, 2019 13:45:22 GMT
I don't think there's a whole lot you can do to distract from boring tasks, humans are wired to mind-wander. You might be able to stop yourself from going too deep though, mindfulness techniques have been helpful to MDers, depending what you're doing 'active listening' might be something to look into. I start my day with (and this sounds stupid) social media. Prevents me from jumping directly into a daydream, buuuut, that might not work for everyone, getting sucked into media for an hour is just as bad a habit, especially if it's a trigger for you. But perhaps there's something similar you could try, a motivating non-triggery podcast, the news perhaps.
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Post by Sam on May 14, 2019 17:12:37 GMT
I agree with Dimmer. I think that pretty much everyone drifts into daydreams while doing boring, routine tasks. I think that one of the main differences between regular drifting and drifting when you have MDD is your ability to pull yourself out of it. For regular people, they might daydream while doing something boring, but I think that once they switch to a task that really needs their attention (work or socializing, for example), they're able to quickly pull themselves back into the present moment. I think that people who daydream maladaptively are less able to regain awareness, thus making it so that drifting off into daydreaming while doing a boring task sets an unfocused tone for the rest of the day.
Perhaps it has something to do with the chemicals in your brain and how they influence the nerve pathways. Personally, I get a dopamine and adrenaline jolt every time I daydream and I've become so addicted to it that saying no to daydreaming is often close to impossible. Pulling myself out of a daydream is likewise difficult because I know that I'll be losing the endorphin rush.
Regardless, mindfulness could possibly help you stay more present, as Dimmer suggested. It trains you to come back to the present moment when you get distracted by things, whether they be thoughts, sensations, or environmental things (sounds and other stuff like that in your environment). As you practice and strengthen your ability to come back to the present moment when you're doing a set mindfulness practice, your ability to stay present and refocus in your everyday life gets stronger as well.
Personally, I've been getting better at coming back to the present and staying in the present moment even when I want to daydream. Partially because of mindfulness but also because my everyday life is becoming busier and filled with essential things. My perfectionism and anxiety can't take the idea of me not completing all of my tasks, so if I know that daydreaming even for just a little bit is not only going to take time away from me but also keep me less focused for the rest of the day (and thus less likely to complete my tasks), it becomes just a little bit easier for me to resist daydreaming. Not that I recommend developing perfectionism because it really sucks. So maybe just stick with the mindfulness and see what happens.
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Post by trex56 on May 14, 2019 20:52:25 GMT
I struggled with getting ready in the morning for a long time. The things that work for me are starting my day with some exercises (stretches, yoga poses, etc), using a timer in the shower, and not listening to music when I get ready.
I also plan everything I need to do in detail and usually have some goals throughout my day, for instance get x and y done before 9 AM. This usually helps keep me on track.
I wouldn't worry too much about getting pulled into a daydream when you're riding the train though, I think everybody does, even people who don't have MDD. Maybe you could use something like breathing or mindfulness exercises to get out of 'daydream mode' when you step off the train?
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