People Let Their Minds Wander And Think About Something Else During A Task At Least 50% Of The Time, Which Can Have A Positive Effect On Emotional Well-Being When Done Intentionally

It extracts data from a much larger pool of volunteers than what can be collected from typical studies, making it more accurate and trustworthy.

In the study, the research team considered a number of factors that could impact the relationship between mind-wandering and emotional well-being.

They came to the conclusion that there is a negative association between mind-wandering and emotional well-being, meaning that mind-wandering makes us feel worse more often than it makes us feel better.

The scientists examined the content of the thoughts that the volunteers had while their minds were wandering.

When the thoughts were negative, like fears and worries, for example, the effect on emotional well-being was also negative. But when the content was positive, such as thinking about a fun vacation, the effect was positive.

Next, they considered the intentionality behind the thoughts. If we let our minds wander on purpose like when a teacher is droning on about an uninteresting subject, the effect on emotional well-being is more positive than when mind-wandering occurs involuntarily.

Overall, letting the mind wander intentionally to experience positive thoughts can have a positive impact on emotional well-being, while involuntarily experiencing negative thoughts makes us feel worse.

The meta-analysis was recently published in the highly-ranked peer-reviewed scientific journal Psychological Bulletin.