I don't do any work because of daydreaming

[tatsumaru]

I removed most of the distractions in my life. For example I no longer have a smartphone and I don't use social media and barely check email. And here's the weirdest thing. Even when I don't have anything to distract myself with I still distract myself with daydreaming. Instead of doing the work I should be doing on my business I fantasize about a new renaissance or talking to some imaginary geniuses and transforming the world or I just contemplate deep questions and at the end of the day I realize I haven't done any work. I would like to do more work and less daydreaming. Any advice?

[Luc1nda]

I have this, it holds me back from getting into a good work flow and makes time management for me extremely difficult. One minute I'm doing real work, the other I've got up from my desk and I'm looking out the window fantasizing about how insane I want my life to be 50 years later, and the problem is, how am I going to make that a reality if I can't even sit down and work towards it!!! Yet Its still difficult, I'm not sure what the root of the problem is for you but, I suppose its down to concentration and awareness, normally when you're working and are completely focusing on what I'm working on, the daydreams aren't there, music often triggers daydreaming for me, so I don't recommend listening to it while working if you do. 

Try being aware of your daydreaming every time it comes up, and don't let it carry you away, take a deep breath and remind yourself what you have to do, and make sure you enjoy what you're doing and get into the flow of working through it, and you'll most likely get so carried away doing what you're doing the daydreams wont come up. Try watching Leo's video on focus if you haven't, he explains the concept of 'flow' pretty well, a state which you get yourself in when doing a task you don't think of anything else but that task, and turn the daydreaming into visions which will motivate you by consciously sitting down and coming up with powerful visions, channel this ambition into something that'll benefit you and motivate you, not slow you down during the day, make sure to have structure to your day and really intend to work.

Sorry if this isn't that helpful - anyone is free to correct me, I'm fighting this battle too so I haven't fully figured it out yet.

[tatsumaru]

2 hours ago, Luc1nda said:

music often triggers daydreaming

I can relate to this. Have you tried something more monotonous like this:

I  think it helps me focus.

[Luc1nda]

@tatsumaru I'd say those make me focus well, I often listen to tracks like this: 

However average 3 minute long music with lyrics and all that is particularly what I meant, it makes me feel full of eratic energy and can diverge my focus a lot lol

Good recommendation though, it really does relax your thoughts, which helps me stop thinking so eratically. 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Luc1nda

[Entity]

4 hours ago, tatsumaru said:

I would like to do more work and less daydreaming. Any advice?

Do that..., more work and less daydreaming, unfortunately the latter is not in the present...

[Flowerfaeiry]

I dont know if there's anything necessarily wrong with daydreaming. Even when you think you "should" be working on something else. Maybe try allowing yourself to daydream and not have anxiety about it. 

[Origins]

@tatsumaru Purely an orderliness issue in the relationship between mental activity and physical activity overtime (mathematical ratio describes predictive performance outcomes and low outcomes predictive of issues with orderliness) which is of course resolved by simply practicing performing tasks for a certain allotted amount of time, ideally, the more complicated those tasks the better because it will force you to exercise regions of your mind involved in focus. All of this can be solved if you choose tasks that you either enjoy or that you've discerned are absolutely necessary to complete. Stamp it in the right place that you're not going to allow your mind in this sense to become lazy, but that you'll direct said energy in a healthy and most desirous way relative to the options afforded to you.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Origins

[seeking_brilliance]

Perhaps you are just going into the wrong field. ?

[Leo Nordin]

Why do you think daydreaming comes upon? Or why do you think particularly your very own withering away come from. In imagination so many types of desires can be fulfilled. If you don't find expression in the real world then it can in the illusory, this is why most people dream some when they sleep. If you were more sensitive to life you would have realised this already, but that discussion is for another time?. You might also be patching up disturbances in the mind, which should after the dreaming is done have upgraded you as a human in some way. At least when you wake up you wake up as (hopefully) a fresh life because dreaming has taken care of your karma. If I were to have a challenging situation or similar, mind might want to sit down and get thoughts together and also dream a little about it. 

Moral of the story is if you ground yourself more in reality, in actualities and constantly liberate your very own created desires then there won’t be as much space for dreams or daydreaming. Maybe there are some things you need to sit down and think long about which you haven't, your mind has made it very clear to you at this point, what more can it do. Figure it out yourself!! 

[AtheisticNonduality]

Have you tried working towards a path where daydreaming is part of your job?

[JonasVE12]

It's an issue that often arises when one is not attuned to that which he really enjoys doing in the present moment. Seek to get fulfillment in what is in front of you and if you can't, maye re-orient yourself to something where it is the case. If you have a goal in mind, something you would like to achieve in the future, and you find yourself easily distracted in the proces of achieving it, contemplate if it is really worth it to spend your time chasing this goal. We live our live in the present moment and life is too short to engage in the chasing of ideals that we think will make us happy, but are just a projection of our internal sense of lack in the present. Many people hold so high standards for themselves and have all these great aspirations and ambitions but they lack authenticity so of course this will manifest as a wall between you and the ability to progress in the achievement of these aspirations. Not saying this is the case, but you may want to contemplate this. For me this was the case personally.

What also often is the case is that certain people with issue just have a hyper creative mind that makes it difficult to stay focused on linear progress which is required when one is working to achieve some goal. Some people have difficulty working linearly because their mind is just very creative. Then it just comes down to finding something that is more in allignment with the workings of your mind. But also remind that you can train your mind to work in a more linear way. Your ability to work linearly and focused correlates heavily with the degree to which you are present as well as the purification level of your mind. Maybe think about doing some presence work like kriya yoga which is very powerful for this. As well as meditation, Fixing diet, becoming conscious of your emotions, thoughts, desires.

Some people also benefit from medication such as rilatine and modafinil to get a boost in motivation and focus. Here you need to be wise and not become dependant on it. The supplementation regimen needs be sustainable and allow for off-days. For some people it can be used long-term without negative side-effects but you have to find a balance. 

Also note that daydreaming can also be an aspect of dissociation. it is very common when one has experienced a lot of stress during childhood. It is a survival mechanism. It can develop for many different reasons that often have a foundation in childhood. For example heavy traumatic experiences such as bullying and social exclusion. Lack of love during parent-child relationship. It is said that much of ADHD has it's origins here. Normal brain development is definitely hindered when placed inside above unhealthy childhood dynamics, affecting the regions of the brain responsible for attention & motivation. 

Of course daydreaming can be looked at in many different contexts and to be honest, probably everyone does this from time to time. When it really hinders you and holds you back from your potential, you need to inspect it with great attention and look for a solution.

[Jacob Morres]

what is it that you would like to do with that time? 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Jacob Morres

[hyruga]

On 3/8/2021 at 5:29 AM, tatsumaru said:

I removed most of the distractions in my life. For example I no longer have a smartphone and I don't use social media and barely check email. And here's the weirdest thing. Even when I don't have anything to distract myself with I still distract myself with daydreaming. Instead of doing the work I should be doing on my business I fantasize about a new renaissance or talking to some imaginary geniuses and transforming the world or I just contemplate deep questions and at the end of the day I realize I haven't done any work. I would like to do more work and less daydreaming. Any advice?

You cannot remove all distractions. Your mind will always wander and you cannot take full control of your mind too. 

Even if someone plant an item in your mind, you will just think it. For example, I plant the word 'Black Pig'. Then you will think of a Black Pig.

It doesn't matter even if I tell you to Don't think of a 'Yellow Dog', you will still be distracted by this word and you will think of a 'Yellow Dog'.

And your mind will still daydream even if you try to remove all distractions. This is called a Monkey Mind.

Edited March 9, 2021 by hyruga