People who let their minds wander may be better at solving problems in life than those who try to think about all the possible solutions. Not only that, but people who overthink and overanalyze can harm their mental and physical health over time. Resilience comes from the ability to let go and experience life as it comes rather than try to wrestle control. Learn more about how to cultivate this mindset for your journey in recovery.

Unconscious Mind

The brain is always working and always firing. Even at rest. It is working, even if slowly, to process everything at seemingly warp speed. The unconscious mind is not something we are always aware of, especially as thoughts tumble through our minds all day long. We can react and engage to situations, triggers, and influences without thinking about how or why. It takes training the brain and body to realign with how to handle settling the mind.

Mind Wandering Gone Wrong

One of the detrimental effects of letting the mind wander is that a person can tap into the negative side of their behavior in the form of daydreaming and procrastination. Rather than using the time wisely, people may find their brains are focused so much on meandering it is hard to bring the thoughts down to earth. Some wandering is a good thing, while too much is a negative side effect. While the tendency can become to ruminate on things from the past or focus on the wrong things, the goal is to give the brain space to wander and think without kicking it into overdrive which can bring on depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Building a Healthy Mind

Building a healthy mind starts with giving room for expansive thinking with parameters. If a person goes to work and sits there daydreaming all day, they will likely be fired in short order. Nobody can sit and dream all day unless they are a poet or musician for a living who gets paid to sit and think. Even then, they have to make a living by performing, doing their craft, and putting themselves out there. Ideally, a person will put into action what they think about rather than sit on it and not get anything done. Here are some tips to help create space to let the mind wander while also being focused on personal goals:

Don’t overdo or over think things. Let the mind wander but be mindful to notice when it has gone too far and you need to come back down to earth
Have accountability partners who help you stay focused on goals
Check in with a therapist if you struggle with racing thoughts or thoughts you cannot control that come and go quickly (including attention issues)
Write down concrete plans to accomplish things you think about

In recovery, the key is to focus on health and resilience. It helps to have some support from family and friends who can help navigate the challenges of changing thinking patterns and behavior to be more mindful and thoughtful in recovery.

Letting your mind wander in recovery is healing and good for the soul. The key is to think about how you want to achieve certain goals and set a plan in motion. Our team can help you detox and heal from addiction so you can dream again. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 877-279-1777