Have you ever been sitting thinking about something and all of a sudden you realize some time has passed and you were literally not in the room but out there in another world? This is called daydreaming and it can be healthy, so don’t worry, you have not lost your mind but instead have lost yourself in a good thing!
“Daydreaming is a short-term detachment from one’s immediate surroundings, during which a person’s contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.” From Wikapedia.org
Good things associated with daydreaming:
- Daydreaming can actually help us to relax and manage our stress levels. By daydreaming and leaving our problems behind for a short time we can improve our mood.
- You can solve problems by daydreaming; when the mind is left to wander we come upon solutions that might be out of grasp when we are stressed out about the problem.
- Some feel they sleep better when they allow their minds to wander once they are finished with their day and are ready for bed.
- By daydreaming we experience some new behaviour enabling us to better understand what others are going through even though we have not actually had the experience. Sometimes these daydreams lead us to trying new things in reality.
- Many have made wonderful discoveries from daydreaming (it is said about Einstein, his unconscious mind took his thoughts in radical and revolutionary directions).
- According to the American Psychological Association, imagining something from a personal perspective can be an effective way to recall specific information on command.
“People daydream very elaborately before they go to sleep,” according to Professor Emeritus Jerome Singer from Yale University, a pioneer researcher on the topic. “There’s continuity between daydreams and night dreams.”
A University of British Columbia study found that when we daydream, brain areas linked to complex problem solving—once thought to be dormant during daydreaming—are actually more active than when we focus on a routine task.
According to an article in the magazine Best Health, “Daydreams are more than escapes from humdrum afternoons: They are critical workings of the human mind. They bring us wisdom and creativity, and have likely been the flicker of life for many great works of art, film and literature. According to research, if you can learn to embrace daydreams, you can gain powerful insights into the world and your future, and maybe even create something beautiful of your own.”
According to a study from the University of Queensland in Australia published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, researchers say daydreams may be a kind of “spontaneous mental time travel.” While our physical selves are stuck in the present, our minds can flit into the past or future any time we want.
By daydreaming about some difficult events that happened in your past you can come up with solutions on how to overcome these difficulties if we find ourselves in the same type of situation.
Many people have no problems daydreaming, but if you want to set yourself up for successful daydreams try these suggestions:
- Find a quiet place where you can let your mind wander
- Let your mind wander – it does not matter what you daydream about
- Afterwards it might be wise to write down what your daydream was about – journaling as we have said before is very positive
- Allow yourself time each week or day to daydream
One of my favourite daydreams is going on a holiday in the south Pacific – when I come back to reality I feel relaxed and rested and the best part is I did not have to travel by airplane or pack my bags to get there! So next time you are stressed out, find yourself a quiet place to sit and let your mind wander………
Favourite Recipes of 2014: Macaroni and Cheese
serves 4-6 people
This vegan Macaroni and Cheese has all of the creaminess of the Standard American Diet Mac and Cheese. Your guests won’t even know it’s vegan!
First boil your macaroni noodles (we used penne) until they are “al dante” (firm but not hard)
- 2 cups pasta noodles
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Sea salt to taste
Rinse the pasta then put aside until the cream cheese sauce is ready.
Creamed Cheese Sauce
Sauté the following in a large saucepan, on medium heat until lightly browned and tender:
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp of each: basil & thyme
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
Wisk in the flour stir well then add the milk and rice cheese slices gradually:
- 3 tbsp whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1-2 cups coconut milk
- 3-4 rice cheese slices
- sea salt to taste
Slowly whisk until you get a nice creamy sauce, turn heat down to low until ready to use.
To assemble mix in the pasta noodles and stir until well coated – put in a 2 quart baking dish.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake under the broiler until slightly browned – serve hot.
Find this recipe and more in Judy Fleming’s Recipe book Foods from Around the World. This book features menus from 10 locations around the world. Judy Fleming, Director of the Canadian Operations of Hallelujah Acres, created this recipe book by selecting local foods from Africa, Canada, England, India, The Islands, Italy, Mexico, Middle Eastern Countries, The Orient and South America and used these foods to create a variety of vegan recipes. The final section features foods inspired by Christmas around the world. Learn how to transform foods from all over the world into vegan recipes so you can lead a healthier life.
Coming Soon: Kitchen Tool Special
Start saving up for the kitchen tool special coming this February! Tools help us to fix problems in our homes and workplaces. We need to be equipped with the right tools (our appliances) to fix our bodies as well. Let’s make sure we have a well stocked kitchen with all of the appliances needed to maintain our health. Stay tuned for more information on how you can save on your next kitchen tool purchase!
