Why Mind Wandering Is Bad For You and How to Stop It

Random, unintentional thinking like you do when your mind wanders happens in a different part of the brain than intentional thoughts. And too much mind wandering is bad for you in that it makes you more anxious and unhappy. In this video, I explain why mind wandering increases your anxiety and unhappiness and two things you can do about it.

References

Killingsworth, M.A., & Gilbert, D.T. (2010). A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind. Science, 330, 932 - 932.

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Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[jowens]

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder this past year. My mind always wandered at lightning speed, but no one had ever explained to me that it was a bad thing. I'm having to unlearn years of bad habits. This was a great insight

[galacticcactus]

I’ve been a daydreamer since i was a child, and it’s always the same subject matters. Don’t know if it would be possible to stop at this point. Dreaming and making up stories in my head is such a big part of my sense of self.

[ulviyye_]

Controlling automatic thoughts is a huge step in overcoming depression and anxiety. Meditation and these kind of topics should be taught at school.

[Princesskerji]

Caught my mind wondering multiple times during this video 😭

[jesseemail]

Agreed. The “over active default mode“ is one of the reasons why incarceration of prisoners rarely leads to rehabilitation. Being imprisoned gives the jailed person almost nothing else to do besides ruminate on the negative. Building anxiety which can eventually lead to psychosis.

[SmumplytheFP]

I have ADHD, so everytime I try doing things like, art, studying and most stuff that are supposed to calm me down, just makes it worse for me because of my mind switching to bad memories I have instead of focusing. (Mainly judgementalism and self loathing, comparing myself to others).
This is such an informative video that I'm so happy found it's way in my recommended.

[Opeth]

My thoughts are so painful. My mind never stops. It produces an infinite amount of thoughts. All the time.

[robfut]

Sounds to me like mind wondering is only bad if you’re a negative person or have bad thought habits. For others it can be a source of creativity, I know a lot of artists who let their minds wonder and it helps them come up with innovative ideas.

[Doubleaa]

My mind wandering is a wonderful thing that my mind does! It can lead to so many creative things to write or draw and I've spent hours staring out the window as my mind wandered listening to music and it made me relax and random spontaneous thoughts came through. I'm not a stressed person and I still meditate and focus on the present, but I couldn't imagine my mind not wandering and feeling my active mind!

[krowkovtuber]

i LOVE her straightforward and informative way of making content. just straight up knowledge, no unnecessary intros, no annoying background music. the world needs more Dr. Tracey Marks!

[shaggybreeks]

Psychedelics cause someone's internal negativity to be "purged". Indeed, "purged" is the correct word in one incident I had involving peyote. It hit me 2 days after ingesting, and I thought I was sober, and then a huge wave of guilt washed over me, and again, "washed" is the correct word. It was absolutely NOT a pleasant experience, but dang, did it ever settle in my own mind, something that had been eating away at me for years. Purging is not necessarily pleasant to experience, but what a relief.

[smoothlyrough]

As an introvert, my mind is where I live. I don't think there's anything wrong with that if your a functioning member of society.

[pharoah]

I love the way this doctor can give scientific advice and then effortlessly transition into humor. Most doctors are either smart but dull or entertaining but sketchy. She’s the real deal.

[audreymo]

Didn't know a wandering mind was a thing-"Default mode thinking". I have to stop myself sometimes from intrusive thoughts..remembering a terrible memory from the past..thank u Dr.

[Dulceria-La-Princesita]

I don't believe I have anxiety, but I do have ADHD, and what you're describing is the most damaging symptom I have. It's made my ability to function as an adult very difficult, to the point where my job is on the line.

[brianrosado]

I have ADHD and I'm not 100% sure this video applies to me. Yes, my mind wonders allot but it's like if I was daydreaming and not remembering psychological trauma. I'm am glad to say that I don't suffer from anxiety and or depression (that I know of), I just have a somewhat stable life with my parents and loved ones. I loved the information though and I think I'll keep an eye out to see if one of my friends needs this video.

[bitner]

This explains one of the reasons I had to quit my job. I was so used to the repetitive movements of my work and basically go on auto pilot and my mind would wander to negative thoughts, how life would be easier if I killed myself or found a way to go to prison and not have to work so hard anymore going from day to day. It was horrible and unhealthy, and I was confused why I felt that way while I was at work because as soon as I clocked out or was off for the weekend, I felt perfectly fine. This video made a lot of sense. Thank you.

[bravestarr]

"Your brother STOLE from you! What you gonna do?!" 🤣 Thanks for brightening my day with that line. Very informative video. Kudos to you for not being afraid to talk about potentially beneficial drugs, just because they were tarred as 'bad ones' by legislators with other agendas. Psilocybin literally saved my life 20 years ago - Felt I had nothing left to lose. The effect was incredibly profound, and I found a job again soon after. All the best, and thanks for your hard work.

[CavemanBearPig]

Honestly, I was never aware this was a defined issue. I work a long 10 hour shift, and quite often I try to put my mind off of the daily grind just to try and pass time.
I’d drift into idle thought, and eventually I did precisely what she mentioned regarding bad thoughts. It would then put me in such a dark mood while on the job, and it only ever broke when break time was called.

There came a point where I got tired of falling into those bad thoughts, and so I tried to focus on other, more creative inclined things. I tried to think of my hobby as a writer—what things I could imaging writing about my characters, what they would do in one fantasy setting or another and other stuff like that. If I felt myself slipping back into *Default Mode*, I’d take a deep breath and refocus on my personal interests again.

[TektoniusPrime]

My mind has been wandering ever since I was young. Every now and then, bad memories just get in my head and because of that, I usually go with it and I'm stuck there for a while getting upset and angry. I always thought this so-called mind wandering would go away at some point, but over the years it has been getting more severe and it never goes away. I hope this actually helps me with the intrusive thoughts and such