It seems almost impossible for people to be bored these days.  Everywhere you look, people are staring at their smartphone screens whenever they find themselves with more than a few seconds to spare.

New research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests we should put our phones down as it finds that letting our minds drift into a daydream actually helpsyour brain to learn.

Drawing inspiration from studies on local sleep, where certain brain regions seem to briefly nap while the rest of us stays awake, the researchers theorised that daydreaming could reflect a brain state similar to sleep, allowing it to consolidate information and form memories more efficiently.

To put this to the test, the researchers asked volunteers to perform a probabilistic learning task that involved detecting patterns and learning without conscious effort. As the participants worked, their brain activity was monitored using high-density EEG (electroencephalography).

After the task, participants self-reported how focused they had been. The results were surprising: those who admitted to letting their minds drift off showed improved learning, especially in the early stages of the task. Not only did they perform just as well as the fully focused group, but their brain activity revealed signs of a sleep-like state, without them ever closing their eyes.

The researchers suggest that mind wandering might allow the brain to shift into a mode where automatic, associative learning takes over, similar to how we absorb information while dreaming.

In this state, the brain isn’t focused on immediate, conscious problem-solving but instead on processing in the background which could be especially useful during tasks that don’t require intense focus, such as folding laundry or going for a walk.

This research adds to a growing body of research challenging the idea that focus always equals better learning. Instead, the suggestion is that the brain is always working, even when it seems like we’ve checked out.”

The researchers were quick to point out that mind wandering can hurt performance in situations that demand sustained attention or precise action, like when we are in a meeting at work.

But in moments of low-stakes repetition or routine, like waiting for a bus, washing the dishes or taking a walk, letting your mind roam could be exactly what your brain needs to process what you’ve recently learned.

So next time you find yourself gazing out the window or thinking about dinner during a mundane task, don’t feel guilty. You might just be giving your brain the rest it needs to learn better, think clearer, and grow stronger.

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