If you’re anything like me, you’ll often find yourself gazing into the distance lost in a daydream.
We all love to do it and new research has found that the average British adult spends over three hours a week daydreaming.
The study by OnePoll discovered we zone out for an average of ten minutes at work as we allow our minds to drift.
It isn’t just at work though as, according to the study, we spend a further 13 minutes daydreaming at home when we should be getting on with dull chores like cooking and cleaning.
Our minds also drift for around 10 minutes every day when we are commuting to and from work.
One in five surveyed said they believe they daydream when they are bored.
Gregory Tatton-Brown from Casumo, which commissioned the research, said:
Sometimes everyday life can be a little less exciting than we’d like, so many Brits tend to switch off.
It can happen when you least expect it – during a long work meeting, while waiting for the kettle to boil or even in the middle of a conversation.
It’s clear that many people find their lives are a little dull, which leads to them spending so much time daydreaming.
And nearly a fifth tend to daydream when they’re feeling stressed or fed up, perhaps suggesting that people aren’t completely satisfied with their lot in life.
One in five also said the last hour of the workday is when they let their minds wander and dream of a different life.
However, in contrast to this, the research revealed the most common time for workers to start drifting off is 14:41 – nowhere near home-time for most people.
It also emerged that the time spent lying in bed before going to sleep is also a prime time for daydreaming.
According to the study the most common thing we daydream about is going on holiday, meaning we all really need to travel more.
One in four also said they are most likely to fantasise about winning the lottery.
We also think with our stomachs with one in five admitting they start cooking up their dream dinner in their minds.
Sometimes the everyday is so difficult we daydream about simply getting into our cosy and warm beds.
I am totally not thinking about that right now…
Other common daydreams include what to do in a zombie apocalypse, what your cat is up to right now – of course – and what it would be like to be a real life James Bond.
One fifth of the people surveyed say they are easily distracted which often leads to daydreaming.
In fact, 17 per cent of people admitted they have either missed a turn or taken a wrong one while driving because their mind has drifted.
Here are the top 30 things we daydream about:
1. Holidays
2. Your to-do list
3. About winning the lottery
4. Plans for the weekend
5. Plans for the evening such as what to have for dinner
6. Food in general
7. The state of the world
8. Decorating your home
9. What to have for lunch
10. Shopping
11. Random thoughts like if there are really such things as aliens
12. Doing up your garden
13. About an upcoming event such as a wedding or a birthday
14. Current affairs
15. Existential wondering
16. About an argument or fallout with a partner, friend or family member
17. Something you read about in the news or a magazine
18. Getting into bed at the end of the day
19. What the rest of your family might be up to
20. Having a lie-in
21. Wondering what your partner is doing
22. Wondering what your kids are doing
23. Walking up to your boss and quitting your job
24. Being famous
25. Wondering what your pet is doing
26. About meeting a celebrity
27. What you’d do in case of a zombie uprising
28. Puppies and kittens
29. Playing in a Premier League/FA Cup/World Cup match
30. Being a spy
Now snap out of it! Back to work, folks…
