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The difference between mind wandering and mind wondering.

By Annelise Jolley

April 24, 2023 |

The Difference Between Mind Wandering and Mind Wondering

Curiosity has long been associated with creativity and artistic expression. As Zora Neale Hurston once put it,

"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose."

A research team comprised of Daphna Shohamy and Ran Hassin of Columbia University, Thalia Wheatley of Dartmouth, and Jonathan Schooler of University of California Santa Barbara confirmed a strong relationship between general-interest curiosity and creative thinking. They also found that creativity is particularly associated with mind wandering.

While past research has focused on mind wandering’s negative impact on happiness and well-being, Schooler found that not all mind wandering is created equal. One of his lab’s previous studies showed that when people mind wander, they become less happy than when they’re mentally present and on task. “But we also asked people to indicate what they were mind wandering about. And if they were mind wandering about something they were especially interested in, they were actually happier than when they were on task.” This discovery led him to distinguish between mind wandering and what he termed “mind wondering.”

Mind wandering can cause us to ruminate in the past, stew in worry about the future, or obsess over others’ perceptions of us. Mind wondering, on the other hand, is a playful and curious state in which the mind wonders about something it finds particularly interesting. In mind wondering, our thoughts amble through an inviting and invigorating mental landscape. As Carl Jung put it, “The creative mind plays with the object it loves.” Mind wondering helps explain why many of our best ideas catch us by surprise while we’re washing dishes, strolling through the woods, or—in the classic example—taking a shower. This kind of curious and receptive mental state is essential for creative thinking.

Cultivating a state of curiosity

One of the team’s most exciting discoveries was that curiosity—particularly the exploratory and delighted kind—can be encouraged. “While curiosity is a trait, it’s also a state,” says Schooler. “And we find that you can cultivate that state with particular activities.”

It turns out the most effective activity for encouraging a state of openness and wonder is also a simple one: Ask questions. Like Socrates encouraged his students long ago, encouraging ourselves to ask questions helps us to embody a stance of general-interest curiosity. “When you’re faced with thoughts going through your mind or in a situation where you’re encountering information, just think about: what questions do I have here? That seems to be the way to get the mind into a natural questioning kind of state,” says Schooler. 

In one of his team’s studies, researchers asked a group of participants to read an article and summarize the basic elements. They then asked a second group to read the same article, but rather than summarize it, they were prompted to imagine questions they’d like to ask about what they read. The group that was prompted to ask questions was more likely to read other articles beyond what they received in the study. The age-old practice of asking questions created an appetite for learning more.

Asking questions as a way to cultivate curiosity also holds true in the context of social connection. People who ask questions and really listen to the responses encourage a change in brain activity. They create more neural flexibility through open, exploratory questioning. And the people who do that, Wheatley found, not only have the ability to receive and integrate other people’s points of view, but they also act as hubs in their social network.

“The people who are highly central to the social network, who are well connected to others, have a curiosity for other people's ideas [that allows them to] really listen and take on board what others are saying.”

It’s also possible to train your mind to practice mind wondering rather than drifting into the less beneficial habit of mind wandering. When your mind meanders off task, Schooler suggests, simply direct your thoughts toward a topic you find interesting. “If you find your mind returning to some ruminative thought, think about some idea that arose in a documentary or something you read in the newspaper that you’re curious about,” suggests Schooler. It may help to compile a mental list of topic areas you’d like to chew on. That way, you have a menu of intriguing options to explore the next time your thoughts drift. 

Want to cultivate a hunger to learn? Start by asking questions. Take delight in what you don’t know and practice deep listening around others. When your mind wanders, nudge it to wander with a purpose, and maybe your curiosity will lead you to thrilling new places. At the very least, you’ll be more likely to stumble upon your next good idea in the shower.

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Moshe Bar Ph.D.

Let Your Mind Wander

Experience the benefits of daydreaming in creativity and problem solving..

Posted February 20, 2024 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

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  • Mind wandering is a universal human experience rooted in evolution and brain science.
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  • Mind wandering also allows individuals to simulate the future and script their range of responses.

Comedian Steven Wright deadpanned, “I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.” With that quip, he encapsulated the universal human experience of mind wandering .

Our minds are never idle. When not focused on doing a specific task or achieving a goal, we daydream, fantasize , ruminate, reminisce about something in the past, or worry about something in the future.

In fact, research with thought-sampling techniques has shown that an average of 47 percent of our time is spent with our mind wandering. 1 Think of it: nearly half our waking hours!

Research also suggests that mind wandering is not time wasted but a constructive mental tool supporting creativity, problem-solving, and better mood.

Peshkova / Shutterstock

Creativity Benefits From Mind Wandering

Mind wandering can be negative and obsessive and present obstacles to accomplishing goals . Left to their own devices, people may gravitate toward the negative.

But that is only part of the story. Many reveries are welcome, playful, creative daydreams to be nourished. Mind wandering allows us to learn from our imagination . Consequently, mind wandering is critical to “creative incubation,” the background mental work that precedes our insightful “Aha!” moments.

In my lab, we have found that broad and unrestrained mind wandering can also promote better mood among people with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression .

Learning Through Imagined Experience

Memory stores actual experience. It can also hold the outcome of experiences we imagine or simulated scenarios. I’ll give you an example.

While on an airplane flight once, I was reviewing a paper, and my mind drifted until it landed on the emergency door, which triggered the following simulation: What if the door suddenly opens while we are in the air?

I will need a parachute, I thought. I could probably use the airplane blanket on my lap, but I will not be able to hold on to it in the strong wind—it needs holes. I can use my pen to make the holes. And so on.

This story is far-fetched and funny, but nevertheless, I now have, from an imagined experience, a script stored in my memory that would be helpful should the unlikely event ever happen.

We do this often, and not always about possible catastrophes. By fabricating possible future experiences, we have memories that we can call on to navigate our lives and fall back on to guide our behavior in the future.

Wandering Is the Brain’s Default

One of the most meaningful developments in recent neuroscience is the serendipitous discovery of the brain network that hosts our mind wandering: substantial cortical regions clustered together in the brain’s “ default mode network .”

Wandering is what our brain does by default. So, logic dictates that if our brains dedicate so much energy to mind wandering, mind wandering should play an important role.

There is a trade-off, though. With all the benefits of creative thinking , planning, decision-making , and mood, mind wandering takes us away from the present. Evolution seems to have prioritized our ability to survive and flourish over our ability to cherish the moment.

I remember having lunch at a cafe in Tel Aviv with a visiting professor from Stanford. I greatly admire his work and his personality . At one point in our conversation, he told me he had once heard something that had completely changed him, how he thinks, and how he lives his life, and he wanted to share it with me.

I have no idea what it was. Despite his dramatic introduction, my mind drifted far away as he spoke. I was too embarrassed to tell him I hadn’t caught what he’d said once I realized what had happened. I can only imagine how odd he must have thought it was that I didn’t comment meaningfully on what he’d said but quickly changed the subject.

mind wondering or wandering

Happily, though, I can report that my mind had wandered to something interesting in my own life. Perverse as our mind wandering can be, at least it generally does have a purpose.

Margaret Wiktor / Shutterstock

Put a Wandering Mind to Use

Most of what we do regularly involves some creation or production, from making food to fixing a leaky shower, from writing a letter to gardening. Even thinking is an act of creation. New ideas, inventions, and plans you make while your mind wanders are all products your mind created.

While we cannot direct our mind as to what to wander about, we can strive to fill the mental space of possibilities with what we would have liked to wander about, either because we seek new ideas, because it makes us feel good, or both.

Before I go on a long walk or do any other activity that is not overly demanding, I ask myself what is on my mind. If it is something like the bills I just paid or an annoying email, I try to replace it with something I’d rather spend my mind-wandering stretch on instead.

I might reread a paragraph that caught my interest recently. Or I might bring back a problem that engaged me before I gave up on it or warm up the idea of an upcoming trip so I can fine-tune the details as I simulate the future with my mind.

This post was adapted from M indwandering: How Your Constant Mental Drift Can Improve Your Mood and Boost Your Creativity by Moshe Bar, Ph.D.

1. Killingsworth, M. R., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439

Moshe Bar Ph.D.

Moshe Bar, Ph.D. , is a cognitive neuroscientist and the former Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Why Do Our Minds Wander?

A scientist says mind-wandering or daydreaming help prepare us for the future

Tim Vernimmen, Knowable Magazine

A Man At Work With a Wandering Mind

When psychologist Jonathan Smallwood set out to study mind-wandering about 25 years ago, few of his peers thought that was a very good idea. How could one hope to investigate these spontaneous and unpredictable thoughts that crop up when people stop paying attention to their surroundings and the task at hand? Thoughts that couldn’t be linked to any measurable outward behavior?

But Smallwood, now at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, forged ahead. He used as his tool a downright tedious computer task that was intended to reproduce the kinds of lapses of attention that cause us to pour milk into someone’s cup when they asked for black coffee. And he started out by asking study participants a few basic questions to gain insight into when and why minds tend to wander, and what subjects they tend to wander toward. After a while, he began to scan participants’ brains as well, to catch a glimpse of what was going on in there during mind-wandering.

Smallwood learned that unhappy minds tend to wander in the past, while happy minds often ponder the future . He also became convinced that wandering among our memories is crucial to help prepare us for what is yet to come. Though some kinds of mind-wandering — such as dwelling on problems that can’t be fixed — may be associated with depression , Smallwood now believes mind-wandering is rarely a waste of time. It is merely our brain trying to get a bit of work done when it is under the impression that there isn’t much else going on.

Smallwood, who coauthored an influential 2015 overview of mind-wandering research in the Annual Review of Psychology, is the first to admit that many questions remain to be answered.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Is mind-wandering the same thing as daydreaming, or would you say those are different?

I think it’s a similar process used in a different context. When you’re on holiday, and you’ve got lots of free time, you might say you’re daydreaming about what you’d like to do next. But when you’re under pressure to perform, you’d experience the same thoughts as mind-wandering.

I think it is more helpful to talk about the underlying processes: spontaneous thought, or the decoupling of attention from perception, which is what happens when our thoughts separate from our perception of the environment. Both these processes take place during mind-wandering and daydreaming.

It often takes us a while to catch ourselves mind-wandering. How can you catch it to study it in other people?

In the beginning, we gave people experimental tasks that were really boring, so that mind-wandering would happen a lot. We would just ask from time to time, “Are you mind-wandering?” while recording the brain’s activity in an fMRI scanner.

But what I’ve realized, after doing studies like that for a long time, is that if we want to know how thinking works in the real world, where people are doing things like watching TV or going for a run, most of the data we have are never going to tell us very much.

So we are now trying to study these situations . And instead of doing experiments where we just ask, “Are you mind-wandering?” we are now asking people a lot of different questions, like: “Are your thoughts detailed? Are they positive? Are they distracting you?”

How and why did you decide to study mind-wandering?

I started studying mind-wandering at the start of my career, when I was young and naive.

I didn’t really understand at the time why nobody was studying it. Psychology was focused on measurable, outward behavior then. I thought to myself: That’s not what I want to understand about my thoughts. What I want to know is: Why do they come, where do they come from, and why do they persist even if they interfere with attention to the here and now?

Around the same time, brain imaging techniques were developing, and they were telling neuroscientists that something happens in the brain even when it isn’t occupied with a behavioral task. Large regions of the brain, now called the default mode network , did the opposite: If you gave people a task, the activity in these areas went down.

When scientists made this link between brain activity and mind-wandering, it became fashionable. I’ve been very lucky, because I hadn’t anticipated any of that when I started my PhD, at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. But I’ve seen it all pan out.

Default Mode Network Graphic

Would you say, then, that mind-wandering is the default mode for our brains?

It turns out to be more complicated than that. Initially, researchers were very sure that the default mode network rarely increased its activity during tasks. But these tasks were all externally focused — they involved doing something in the outside world. When researchers later asked people to do a task that doesn’t require them to interact with their environment — like think about the future — that activated the default mode network as well.

More recently, we have identified much simpler tasks that also activate the default mode network. If you let people watch a series of shapes like triangles or squares on a screen, and every so often you surprise them and ask something — like, “In the last trial, which side was the triangle on?”— regions within the default mode network increase activity when they’re making that decision . That’s a challenging observation if you think the default mode network is just a mind-wandering system.

But what both situations have in common is the person is using information from memory. I now think the default mode network is necessary for any thinking based on information from memory — and that includes mind-wandering.

Would it be possible to demonstrate that this is indeed the case?

In a recent study, instead of asking people whether they were paying attention, we went one step further . People were in a scanner reading short factual sentences on a screen. Occasionally, we’d show them a prompt that said, “Remember,” followed by an item from a list of things from their past that they’d provided earlier. So then, instead of reading, they’d remember the thing we showed them. We could cause them to remember.

What we find is that the brain scans in this experiment look remarkably similar to mind-wandering. That is important: It gives us more control over the pattern of thinking than when it occurs spontaneously, like in naturally occurring mind-wandering. Of course, that is a weakness as well, because it’s not spontaneous. But we’ve already done lots of spontaneous studies.

When we make people remember things from the list, we recapitulate quite a lot of what we saw in spontaneous mind-wandering. This suggests that at least some of the activity we see when minds wander is indeed associated with the retrieval of memories. We now think the decoupling between attention and perception happens because people are remembering.

Brain Regions of Mind Wandering Graphic

Have you asked people what their minds are wandering toward?

The past and future seem to really dominate people’s thinking . I think things like mind-wandering are attempts by the brain to make sense of what has happened, so that we can behave better in the future. I think this type of thinking is a really ingrained part of how our species has conquered the world. Almost nothing we’re doing at any moment in time can be pinpointed as only mattering then.

That’s a defining difference. By that, I don’t mean that other animals can’t imagine the future, but that our world is built upon our ability to do so, and to learn from the past to build a better future. I think animals that focused only on the present were outcompeted by others that remembered things from the past and could focus on future goals, for millions of years — until you got humans, a species that’s obsessed with taking things that happened and using them to gain added value for future behavior.

People are also, very often, mind-wandering about social situations . This makes sense, because we have to work with other people to achieve almost all of our goals, and other people are much more unpredictable than the Sun rising in the morning.

Though it is clearly useful, isn’t it also very depressing to keep returning to issues from the past?

It certainly can be. We have found that mind-wandering about the past tends to be associated with negative mood.

Let me give you an example of what I think may be happening. For a scientist like me, coming up with creative solutions to scientific problems through mind-wandering is very rewarding. But you can imagine that if my situation changes and I end up with a set of problems I can’t fix, the habit of going over the past may become difficult to break. My brain will keep activating the problem-solving system, even if it can’t do anything to fix the problem, because now my problems are things like getting divorced and my partner doesn’t want any more to do with me. If such a thing happens and all I’ve got is an imaginative problem-solving system, it’s not going to help me, it’s just going to be upsetting. I just have to let it go.

That’s where I think mindfulness could be useful, because the idea of mindfulness is to bring your attention to the moment. So if I’d be more mindful, I’d be going into problem-solving mode less often.

If you spend long enough practicing being in the moment, maybe that becomes a habit. It’s about being able to control your mind-wandering. Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, which aims to help people change how they think and behave, is another way to reduce harmful mind-wandering.

Nowadays, it seems that many of the idle moments in which our minds would previously have wandered are now spent scrolling our phones. How do you think that might change how our brain functions?

The interesting thing about social media and mind-wandering, I think, is that they may have similar motivations. Mind-wandering is very social. In our studies , we’re locking people in small booths and making them do these tasks and they keep coming out and saying, “I’m thinking about my friends.” That’s telling us that keeping up with others is very important to people.

Social groups are so important to us as a species that we spend most of our time trying to anticipate what others are going to do, and I think social media is filling part of the gap that mind-wandering is trying to fill. It’s like mainlining social information: You can try to imagine what your friend is doing, or you can just find out online. Though, of course, there is an important difference: When you’re mind-wandering, you’re ordering your own thoughts. Scrolling social media is more passive.

Could there be a way for us to suppress mind-wandering in situations where it might be dangerous?

Mind-wandering can be a benefit and a curse, but I wouldn’t be confident that we know yet when it would be a good idea to stop it. In our studies at the moment, we are trying to map how people think across a range of different types of tasks. We hope this approach will help us identify when mind-wandering is likely to be useful or not — and when we should try to control it and when we shouldn’t.

For example, in our studies, people who are more intelligent don’t mind wander so often when the task is hard but can do it more when tasks are easy . It is possible that they are using the idle time when the external world is not demanding their attention to think about other important matters. This highlights the uncertainty about whether mind wandering is always a bad thing, because this sort of result implies it is likely to be useful under some circumstances.

This map — of how people think in different situations — has become very important in our research. This is the work I’m going to focus on now, probably for the rest of my career.

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13.7 Cosmos & Culture

Why do our minds wander.

A recent study looked at mind wandering.

Sometimes the mind wanders. Thoughts pop into consciousness. Ideas or images are present when just a moment before they were not. Scientists recently have been turning their attention to making sense of this.

One natural picture of the phenomenon goes something like this. Typically, our thoughts and feelings are shaped by what we are doing, by what there is around us. The world captures our attention and compels our minds this way or that. What explains the fact that you think of a red car when there is a red car in front of you is, well, the red car. And similarly, it is that loud noise that causes you to orient yourself to the commotion that is producing it. In such cases, we might say, the mind is coupled to the world around it and the world, in a way, plays us the way a person might play a piano.

But sometimes, even without going to sleep, we turn away from the world. We turn inward. We are contemplative or detached. We decouple ourselves from the environment and we are set free, as it were, to let our minds play themselves.

This natural picture has gained some support from the discovery of the so-called Default Mode Network. The DMN is a network of neural systems whose activation seems to be suppressed by active engagement with the world around us; DMN, in contrast, is activated (or rather, it tends to return to baseline levels of activity) precisely when we detach ourselves from what's going on around us. The DMN is the brain running in neutral.

One of the leading hypotheses to explain mind-wandering and the emergence of spontaneous thoughts is that this is the result of the operation of the brain's Default Mode Network. (See this for a review of this literature.)

A study published in April in the journal NeuroImage by Melissa Ellamil and her colleagues at the University of British Columbia, working in the laboratory of Kalina Christoff, provides evidence that challenges certain aspects of this DMN account. For one thing, she found, using fMRI, that there are neural systems (e.g., the posterior insula) activated just prior to the occurrence of spontaneous thoughts that are outside of the DMN. But she also noticed that some of the areas in DMN activated — for example the hypocampus — are associated with memory and attention. This is intriguing, as it puts pressure on the idea that mind-wandering is quite so passive, or as much a matter of withdrawing from the world, as some scientists have been inclined to support. Even spontaneous free thoughts arise out of memory and experience, it would seem. We are still very much engaged with the world, coupled to it, even when we are simply letting our minds wander.

But to my mind, the real interest — and the potential controversy — of Ellamil's work, has to do with a methodological innovation she undertook to enable her to investigate the neural signatures of the arising of spontaneous thought. It turns out that it isn't easy to find out when thoughts, feelings, images just pop into mind. Ordinary people, it is widely supposed, are not very good at monitoring their own free and undirected mental processes. So how can a scientist gather information about what's going on in the mind of a subject so as to be able to look further at what neural events and processes are, as they say, recruited by those happenings?

Ellamil's solution — and here she draws on what is called "neurophenomenology," which was first developed by the late Chilean neurobiologist Francisco Varela and his colleague, the philosopher Evan Thompson, who is also a co-author on the present study — is to use highly skilled practitioners of Vipassana mindfulness meditation as subjects. This particular style of meditation cultivates, or so it is claimed, precisely the ability notice the coming and going of thoughts and feelings. The idea, then, is that we can use what the meditators say to determine when thoughts arise, as well as what kinds of thoughts they are; on the basis of this data, we can try to figure out how the brain makes it all happen.

What makes these results tricky, it seems to me, is that we don't actually have any reason to believe that the Vipassana meditators do what they say — that is, reliably tell us what is going on in their minds.

The thought that a thought is arising is just another thought that arises. We can't get outside of thought, so to speak, to watch thought happen. At least not in the way that we can stand back and describe what is going on in front us.

Or can we? To do that, we would need to have some kind of access to what is going on in our internal landscape separately from our inclinations to say this or that, or think and feel this or that. But we have no such independent access.

Does the Vipassana meditator have a more reliable and more accurate awareness of his or her own experience? Are they therefore reliable instruments for letting us in on the contents of their own consciousness minds? Or are they just having their own, maybe distinct, maybe not so distinct, consciousness experiences? How would we decide?

This is an unresolved issue. The confidence of the meditators themselves does nothing to help us resolve it.

The point is not that there's anything wrong with mindfulness practices of this sort. I am quite prepared to think that Vipassana meditation is a beautiful and transformative practice, one entirely deserving of our interest and perhaps also our admiration.

But there is no reason to think that what such meditators do is better track independently existing real events in consciousness — and this is because we have no reason think that this picture of introspective self-awareness is even intelligible.

Alva Noë is a philosopher at the University of California, Berkeley, where he writes and teaches about perception, consciousness and art. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature (Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2015). You can keep up with more of what Alva is thinking on Facebook and on Twitter: @alvanoe

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Mind & Body Articles & More

How mind-wandering may be good for you, new research suggests that mind-wandering can serve important functions for our performance and well-being..

When writing a song or a piece of prose, I often choose to let my mind wander, hoping the muse will strike. If it does, it not only moves my work along but feels great, too!

That’s why I was troubled by studies that found an association between mind-wandering and problems like unhappiness and depression —and even a shorter life expectancy . This research suggests that focusing one’s thoughts on the present moment is linked to well-being, while spacing out—which I personally love to do—is not.

Now, new studies are bringing nuance to this science. Whether or not mind-wandering is a negative depends on a lot of factors—like whether it’s purposeful or spontaneous, the content of your musings, and what kind of mood you are in. In some cases, a wandering mind can lead to creativity, better moods, greater productivity, and more concrete goals.

mind wondering or wandering

Here is what some recent research says about the upsides of a meandering mind.

Mind-wandering can make you more creative

It’s probably not a big surprise that mind-wandering augments creativity—particularly “divergent thinking,” or being able to come up with novel ideas.

In one study , researchers gave participants a creativity test called the Unusual Uses Task that asks you to dream up novel uses for an everyday item, like a paperclip or a newspaper. Between the first and second stages, participants either engaged in an undemanding task to encourage mind-wandering or a demanding task that took all of their concentration; or they were given a resting period or no rest. Those participants who engaged in mind-wandering during the undemanding task improved their performance much more than any of the other groups. Taking their focus off of the task and mind-wandering, instead, were critical to success.

‹“The findings reported here provide arguably the most direct evidence to date that conditions that favor mind-wandering also enhance creativity,” write the authors. In fact, they add, mind-wandering may “serve as a foundation for creative inspiration.”

As a more recent study found, mind-wandering improved people’s creativity above and beyond the positive effects of their reading ability or fluid intelligence, the general ability to solve problems or puzzles.

Mind-wandering seems to involve the default network of the brain, which is known to be active when we are not engaged directly in tasks and is also related to creativity.

So perhaps I’m right to let my focus wander while writing: It helps my mind put together information in novel and potentially compelling ways without my realizing it. It’s no wonder that my best inspirations seem to come when I’m in the shower or hiking for miles on end.

Mind-wandering can make you happier
depending on the content

The relationship between mind-wandering and mood may be more complicated than we thought.

In one study , researchers pinged participants on a regular basis to see what they were doing, whether or not their minds were wandering, and how they were feeling. As in an earlier experiment , people tended to be in a negative mood when they were mind-wandering. But when researchers examined the content of people’s thoughts during mind-wandering, they found an interesting caveat: If participants’ minds were engaged in interesting, off-task musings, their moods became more positive rather than more negative.

As the authors conclude, “Those of us who regularly find our minds in the clouds—musing about the topics that most engage us—can take solace in knowing that at least this form of mind-wandering is associated with elevated mood.”

It may be that mood affects mind-wandering more than the other way around . In a similar study , researchers concluded that feeling sad or being in a bad mood tended to lead to unhappy mind-wandering, but that mind-wandering itself didn’t lead to later bad moods. Earlier experiments may have conflated mind-wandering with rumination—an unhealthy preoccupation with past failures that is tied to depression.

“This study suggests that mind-wandering is not something that is inherently bad for our happiness,” write the authors. Instead, “Sadness is likely to lead the mind to wander and that mind-wandering is likely to be [emotionally] negative.”

A review of the research on mind-wandering came to a similar conclusion: Mind-wandering is distinct from rumination and therefore has a different relationship to mood.‹

Compassion Meditation

Compassion Meditation

Strengthen feelings of concern for the suffering of others

Can we actually direct our mind-wandering toward more positive thoughts and away from rumination? It turns out that we can! One study found that people who engaged in compassion-focused meditation practices had more positive mind-wandering. As an added bonus, people with more positive mind-wandering were also more caring toward themselves and others, which itself is tied to happiness.

Mind-wandering may improve job performance

Taking a break from work can be a good thing—perhaps because our minds are freer to wander.

Mind-wandering is particularly useful when work is mind-numbing. In one study , participants reported on their mind-wandering during a repetitive task. Participants who engaged in more mind-wandering performed better and faster, decreasing their response times significantly. The researchers speculated that mind-wandering allowed people to go off-task briefly, reset, and see data with fresh eyes—so that they didn’t miss sudden changes.

In another study , researchers aimed to figure out what parts of the brain were implicated in mind-wandering and discovered something unexpected. When their frontal lobes were stimulated with a small electrical current to boost mind-wandering, people’s performance on an attention task slightly improved.

Of course, not every job calls for mind-wandering. A surgeon or a driver should stay focused on the task at hand, since mind-wandering could be detrimental to both . On the other hand, even for them it might be rejuvenating to take a mind-wandering break after their workday is over, leading to more focused attention the next time around.

Mind-wandering may help us with goal-setting

It seems like mind-wandering would be detrimental when it comes to planning for the future. In fact, some research suggests mind-wandering can improve goal-setting.

In a recent neuroscience experiment , participants did an undemanding task and reported on the content of their thoughts as researchers scanned their brains with fMRI. Afterwards, they wrote for 15 minutes about personal goals or TV programs (the control group). Then, they repeated these two tasks—the undemanding one and writing about goals or TV.

More on Mind-Wandering

Explore whether mind wandering makes you unhappy or less caring .

Discover how to focus a wandering mind .

Read Rick Hanson’s seven tips for paying attention .

Read a skeptical scientist’s take on the relationship between mindfulness and mind-wandering .

Analyzers unaware of the study’s purpose were asked to assess the concreteness of participants’ goal-setting and TV program descriptions. The result? People with wandering minds—who probably started musing about what they really wanted in life after the first writing session—ultimately came up with more concrete and higher-quality goal descriptions in the second session. Over the course of the experiment, their brains also showed an increase in connectivity between the hippocampus and the pre-frontal cortex—areas implicated in goal-setting.

Research has also found that, the more people engage in mind-wandering during a task, the more they are willing to wait for a reward afterwards. According to the researchers, this suggests that mind-wandering helps delay gratification and “engages processes associated with the successful management of long-term goals.”

On the other hand, some research suggests mind-wandering makes us less “gritty”—or less able to stay focused on our goals to completion—especially if it is spontaneous rather than deliberate. So, it may be important to consider where you are in the process of goal creation before deciding mind-wandering would be a good idea.

None of this suggests that mind-wandering is better for us than being focused. More likely, both aspects of cognition serve a purpose. Under the right circumstances, a wandering mind may actually benefit us and possibly those around us. The trick is to know when to set your mind free.

About the Author

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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A Wandering Mind Isn't Just A Distraction. It May Be Your Brain's Default State.

Senior Writer, The Huffington Post

Mind-wandering bears similarities with the thinking processes underlying ADHD, anxiety and creativity.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a daydreamer, you probably spend a lot of time in a state of mental wandering ― it’s natural for your mind to drift away from the present moment when you’re in the shower, walking to work or doing the dishes.

In recent years, scientists have been paying a lot more attention to mind-wandering, an activity that takes up as much as 50 percent of our waking hours . Psychologists previously tended to view mind-wandering as largely useless, but an emerging body of research suggests that it is a natural and healthy part of our mental lives.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley conducted a review of over 200 studies to highlight the relationship between mind-wandering ― often defined in psychological literature as “task-unrelated thought,” or TUT ― and the thinking processes involved in creativity and some mental illnesses, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression.

“Sometimes the mind moves freely from one idea to another, but at other times it keeps coming back to the same idea, drawn by some worry or emotion,” Dr. Kalina Christoff, lead study author and principal investigator of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Thought Laboratory at UBC, said in a statement.

“Understanding what makes thought free and what makes it constrained is crucial because it can help us understand how thoughts move in the minds of those diagnosed with mental illness,” she said.

The Role Of A Wandering Mind

Traditionally, mind-wandering has been defined as thinking that arises spontaneously, without relating to any sort of task or external input. But this definition is only a starting point: Without external focus, the researchers explain, the mind moves from one thought to another ― jumping between memories, imaginings, plans and goals.

This default “spontaneous mode” can be hemmed in in two ways: A person can deliberately turn their attention to a task, or, in the case of someone with a mental health issue, focus can happen because thoughts have gotten stuck on a persistent worry or pulled away by an environmental distraction.

On a neurological level, the brain’s default mode network ― a broad network that engages many different cognitive processes and regions on the internal surface of the brain ― activates when our minds wander. In contrast, when we focus our attention on a goal, plan or environmental stimulus, the part of the brain devoted to external attention is more active.

Specifically, the researchers pinpointed the memory and imaginative centers within the default mode network as being largely responsible for the variety of our spontaneous thoughts.

“You’re jumping around from one thing to another,” Zachary Irving, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and study co-author who has ADHD, told The Huffington Post. “We think that’s the default state of these memory and imaginative structures.”

A Creative Mind Is A Wandering Mind

Creative thinking can be an extension of ordinary mind-wandering, the researchers explained, and a growing body of research has linked daydreaming with creativity . In highly creative people, psychologists have observed a tendency toward a variation on mind-wandering known as “ positive-constructive daydreaming ,” in which has also been associated with self-awareness, goal-oriented thinking and increased compassion.

The free play of thoughts that occurs in mind-wandering may enable us to think more flexibly and draw more liberally upon our vast internal reservoir of memories, feelings and images in order to create new and unusual connections.

“Mind-wandering in the sense of the mind moving freely from one idea to another has huge benefits in terms of arriving at new ideas,” Christoff said. “It’s by virtue of free movement that we generate new ideas, and that’s where creativity lies.”

This chart presents a visualization of different types of thinking, including variations of spontaneous thought.

What Mind-Wandering Can Tell Us About Mental Illness

This type of mental activity can provide an important window into the thinking patterns that underly psychological disorders involving alterations in spontaneous thought.

The mind of someone with ADHD, for example, wanders more widely and frequently than that of an average individual. In someone with anxiety and depression, the mind has an unusually strong tendency to get stuck on a particular worry or negative thought.

“Disorders like ADHD and anxiety and depression aren’t totally disconnected from what normally goes on in the mind,” Irving said. “There’s this ordinary ebb and flow of thoughts, where you’re moving from mind-wandering to sticky thoughts to goal-directed thoughts. ... We think of these disorders as exaggerated versions of those sorts of ordinary thoughts.”

So despite what your elementary school teachers may have told you, it’s perfectly fine to let your thoughts wander every once in a while. But if you find your mind wandering too much or getting stuck on negative thoughts, it may be time to seek help.

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The Wandering Mind: How the Brain Allows Us to Mentally Wander Off to Another Time and Place

mind wondering or wandering

A unique human characteristic is our ability to mind wander—these are periods of time when our attention drifts away from the task-at-hand to focus on thoughts that are unrelated to the task. Mind wandering has some benefits, such as increased creativity, but it also has some negative consequences, such as mistakes in the task we are supposed to be performing. Interestingly, we spend up to half of our waking hours mind wandering. How does the brain help us accomplish that? Research suggests that when we mind wander, our responses to information from the external world around us are disrupted. In other words, our brain’s resources are shifted away from processing information from the external environment and redirected to our internal world, which allows us to mentally wander off to another time and place. Even though we pay less attention to the external world during mind wandering, our ability to detect unexpected events in our surrounding environment is preserved. This suggests that we are quite clever about what we ignore or pay attention to in the external environment, even when we mind wander.

How Do Scientists Define Mind Wandering?

Imagine this: you are sitting in a classroom on a sunny day as your science teacher enthusiastically tells you what our brain is capable of doing. Initially, you pay close attention to what the teacher is saying. But the sound of the words coming out of her mouth gradually fade away as you notice your stomach growling and you begin to think about that delicious ice cream you had last night. Have you ever caught yourself mind wandering in similar situations, where your eyes are fixed on your teacher, friends, or parents, but your mind has secretly wandered off to another time and place? You may be recalling the last sports game you watched, or fantasizing about going to the new amusement park this upcoming weekend, or humming your favorite tune that you just cannot get out of your head. This experience is what scientists call mind wandering, which is a period of time when we are focused on things that are not related to the ongoing task or what is actually going on around us (as shown in Figure 1 ).

Figure 1 - Real-world example of on-task and mind wandering states among students in a classroom.

  • Figure 1 - Real-world example of on-task and mind wandering states among students in a classroom.
  • In a science class in which the teacher asks a question about the brain, some students may be focused on what is being taught, while others may be thinking about yesterday’s basketball tournament, humming their favorite tune, or thinking about getting ice cream after school. The students thinking about the brain during class would be considered to be “on task,” while students thinking about things unrelated to the brain would be considered to be “mind wandering.”

Our Tendency to Mind Wander

Humans on average spend up to half of their waking hours mind wandering. There are differences across individuals in their tendency to mind wander and many factors that affect this tendency. For instance, older adults on average tend to mind wander less than younger adults. Also, individuals who are often sad or worried mind wander more frequently compared with individuals who are happy and have nothing to worry about. We also mind wander more when we perform tasks that we are used to doing, compared with when we perform novel and challenging tasks. There are also different types of mind wandering. For example, we may sometimes mind wander on purpose when we are bored with what we are currently doing. Other times, our mind accidentally wanders off without us noticing.

What are the Pros and Cons of Mind Wandering?

Since we spend so much time mind wandering, does this mean that mind wandering is good for us or not? There are certainly benefits to mind wandering. For example, one of the things the mind does when it wanders is to make plans about the future. In fact, we are more likely to make plans when we mind wander than we are to fantasize about unrealistic situations. Planning ahead is a good use of time as it allows us to efficiently carry out our day-to-day tasks, such as finishing homework, practicing soccer, and preparing for a performance. When mind wandering, we are also likely to reflect upon ourselves. This process of thinking about how we think, behave, and interact with others around us is a crucial part of our self-identity. Mind wandering has also been tied to creative problem-solving. There are times when we get stuck on a challenging math problem or feel uninspired to paint or make music, and research suggests that taking a break from thinking about these problems and letting the mind wander off to another topic may eventually lead to an “aha” moment, in which we come up with a creative solution or idea.

However, mind wandering can also have negative outcomes. For example, mind wandering in class means you miss out on what is being taught, and mind wandering while doing your homework may result in mistakes. Taken to an extreme, people who are diagnosed with depression constantly engage in their own thoughts about their problems or other negative experiences. In contrast, individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who continually change their focus of attention may have a hard time completing a task. Taken together, whether mind wandering is good or bad depends on when we mind wander and what we mind wander about [ 1 ].

Scientific Measures of Mind Wandering

If you were to conduct an experiment, how would you measure mind wandering? Scientists have come up with several methods, one of which is called experience sampling . As research volunteers are doing a computer task in a laboratory, or as they are doing chores in their day-to-day lives, they are asked at random intervals to report their attention state. That is, they have to stop what they are doing and ask themselves what they were thinking about in the moment: “Was I on-task?” (that is, was I paying attention to the task-at-hand) or “Was I mind wandering?” (that is, did my mind wander off to another time and place). Therefore, experience sampling samples the volunteer’s in-the-moment experience, allowing scientists to understand how frequently people mind wander and how mind wandering affects the way people interact with their environments.

Scientists also study mind wandering by recording electroencephalogram (EEG) , a test that measures the electrical activity of the brain. This electrical activity, which looks like wavy lines during an EEG recording (see Figure 2 , Step 2), is observed in all parts of the brain and is present throughout the day, even when we are asleep. Measurements of the brain’s electrical activity help scientists understand how the brain allows us to think, speak, move, and do all the fun and creative and challenging things that we do! In order to record EEG, scientists place special sensors called electrodes on the scalp of a volunteer ( Figure 2 , Step 1), with each electrode recording activity of numerous neurons (brain cells) in the area under the electrode ( Figure 2 , Step 2). Scientists then examine the brain’s activity in response to images (such as a picture of a basketball in Figure 2 ) or sounds presented to the volunteer. The scientists present the same sound or picture to the volunteer multiple times and take the average of the brain’s activity in response to the image or sound, because that method results in a better EEG signal. The averaged brain activity produces something called an event-related potential (ERP) waveform that contains several high and low points, called peaks and troughs ( Figure 2 , Step 3), which represent the brain’s response to the image or sound over time. Some commonly seen peaks and troughs are assigned specific names as ERP components. For instance, a peak that occurs around 300 ms (only 3/10 of a second!) following the presentation of a picture or a sound is often called the P300 ERP component. Based on decades of research, scientists have shown that these ERP components reflect our brain’s response to events we see or hear. The size of the ERP components (measured in voltage) reflects how strong the response is, while the timing of these ERP components (measured in milliseconds) reflects the timing of the response. Now, PAUSE! I would like you to ask yourself, “Was I paying full attention to the previous sentence just now, or was I thinking about something else?” This is an example of experience sampling. And as you may realize now, when we are asked about our current attention state, we can quite accurately report it.

Figure 2 - Recording electroencephalogram (EEG) in humans.

  • Figure 2 - Recording electroencephalogram (EEG) in humans.
  • Step 1. To record EEG, electrodes are attached to a cap that is placed on the scalp of a research volunteer. Step 2. Each wavy line represents the amount of activity recorded by each electrode. Research volunteers are usually presented with some images (e.g., a basketball) or sounds a number of times while their brain activity is being recorded. Step 3. Scientists calculate the average EEG activity across multiple presentations of the same picture/sound. This results in an Event-Related Potential (ERP) waveform, where time (in milliseconds) is plotted on the x-axis and the voltage (in microvolts, indicating the size of the ERP components) is plotted on the y-axis. On the x-axis, 0 indicates the time at which the stimulus (e.g., image of a basketball) was presented. The ERP waveforms contain multiple high and low points, called peaks and troughs. Some of the peaks and troughs are given specific labels. For example, the peak that occurs around 300 ms after an image is presented is often called the P300 ERP component.

What Happens to Our Interaction with the Environment When We Mind Wander?

Scientists have proposed an idea—called the “Decoupling Hypothesis”—stating that during mind wandering, the brain’s resources are shifted away from our surrounding environment and are redirected to our internal world in order to support our thoughts [ 2 ]. This hypothesis assumes that the brain has a certain amount of resources, which means that once mind wandering has used the resources it needs to focus on our thoughts, only a limited amount of brain resources remains for responding to our surrounding environment.

To test this hypothesis, scientists combined experience sampling with EEG to explore how mind wandering affects our interaction with the environment. One of the first studies to test this hypothesis asked research volunteers to categorize a series of images by responding whenever they saw rare targets (e.g., images of soccer balls) among a whole bunch of non-targets (e.g., images of basketballs). Throughout the task, EEG was recorded from the volunteers, and they were also asked at random times to report their attention state as “on task” or “mind wandering.” Based on their EEGs and experience sampling reports, scientists found that the brain’s response to the non-targets was reduced during periods of mind wandering compared with periods of being on task [ 3 ]. This can be seen in Figure 3A , where there is a smaller P300 ERP component during mind wandering (the green lines) compared with the P300 ERP component during the time when the volunteer was on task (the gray line). The data suggest that the brain’s response to events happening in our environment is disrupted when we engage in mind wandering.

Figure 3 - Mind wandering affects our ability to process events in the environment.

  • Figure 3 - Mind wandering affects our ability to process events in the environment.
  • A. The brain’s processing of external events (e.g., images of basketballs and soccer balls) is reduced during periods of mind wandering. This is indicated by the smaller P300 ERP component during mind wandering (green lines) compared with on-task (gray line). The ERP waveform was recorded from the electrode site circled in red, which is located on the back of the head. B. Mind wandering impairs our ability to monitor our own performance, making it more likely that we will make mistakes. This is shown by the smaller feedback error-related negativity ERP component, a trough occurring around 250 ms, for mind wandering (green line) compared with on-task (gray line). The ERP waveform was recorded from the electrode site circled in red, which is located near the front of the head.

Have you ever noticed that if your mind wanders while you are doing homework, you are more likely to make mistakes? Many experiments have also shown that this happens! This led some scientists to question what is happening in the brain when we make mistakes. They specifically measured something called the feedback error-related negativity ERP component, which gives scientists an idea of how closely we are monitoring the accuracy of our responses when we perform a task. The scientists found that the feedback error-related negativity ERP component was reduced during mind wandering compared with on-task periods, as shown in Figure 3B . This suggests that mind wandering negatively affects our ability to monitor our performance and adjust our behavior, making it more likely that we will make mistakes [ 4 ]. All of these studies provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that when the mind wanders, our responses to what is going on in the environment around us are disrupted.

Does Mind Wandering Impair all Responses to the Environment?

At this point, you may wonder: are all responses to the world around us impaired during mind wandering? This seems unlikely, because we are usually quite capable of responding to the external environment even when we mind wander. For example, even though we may mind wander a lot while walking, most of us rarely bump into things as we walk from place to place. A group of scientists asked the same question and looked specifically at whether we can still pay attention to our environment at some level even when we are mind wandering. To test this question, research volunteers were asked to read a book while they were listening to some tones unrelated to the book. Most of the tones were identical, but among these identical tones was rare and different tone that naturally grabbed the attention of the volunteers. These scientists found that the volunteers paid just as much attention to this rare tone when they were mind wandering compared to when they were on task. In other words, our minds appear to be quite smart about which attention processes to disrupt and which processes to preserve during mind wandering. Under normal circumstances, our minds ignore some of the ordinary events in our environment in order for us to maintain a train of thought. However, when an unexpected event occurs in the environment, one that is potentially dangerous, our brain knows to shift our attention to the external environment so that we can respond to the potentially dangerous event. Imagine walking down the street and thinking about the movie you want to watch this weekend. While doing this, you may not clearly perceive the noise of the car engines or the pedestrians chatting around you. However, if a car suddenly honks loudly, you will hear the honk immediately, which will snap you out of your mind wandering. Therefore, even when the mind is wandering, we are still clever about what we ignore and what we pay attention to in the external environment, allowing us to smartly respond to the unusual, or potentially dangerous, events that may require us to focus our attention back on the external environment.

In summary, the brain appears to support mind wandering by disrupting some of the brain processes that are involved in responding to our surrounding external environment. This ability is important for protecting our thoughts from external distractions and allowing us to fully engage in mind wandering. We are only beginning to understand this mysterious experience of thinking, and scientists are actively researching what goes on in the brain when we mind wander. Increasing our knowledge about mind wandering will help us better understand how to take advantage of its benefits while avoiding the problems linked to mind wandering.

Mind Wandering : ↑ Periods of time when an individual is thinking of something that is unrelated to the task he/she is performing.

Experience Sampling : ↑ A scientific method in which a person is asked to report their experience; that is, whether he or she is paying attention or mind wandering at random intervals in the laboratory setting or in the real world.

Electroenceph-Alogram (EEG—“elec-tro-en-sef-a-lo-gram”) : ↑ Electrical activity of many neurons in the brain that is measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Event-Related Potential (ERPs) : ↑ Peaks or troughs in the averaged EEG signal that reflect the brain’s responses to events we see or hear.

P300 : ↑ An ERP component that typically peaks around 300 ms (therefore “300”) after a person sees a picture or hears a sound. It reflects the brain’s processing of the information that is seen or heard. an ERP component that typically peaks around 300 ms (therefore “300”) after a person sees a picture or hears a sound. It reflects the brain’s processing of the information that is seen or heard.

Feedback Error-Related Negativity : ↑ An ERP component that reflects how much a person is monitoring the accuracy of his/her performance.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

[1] ↑ Smallwood, J., and Andrews-Hanna, J. 2013. Not all minds that wander are lost: the importance of a balanced perspective on the mind-wandering state. Front. Psychol. 4:441. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00441

[2] ↑ Smallwood, J. 2013. Distinguishing how from why the mind wanders: a process-occurrence framework for self-generated mental activity. Psychol. Bull. 139(2013):519–35. doi:10.1037/a0030010

[3] ↑ Smallwood, J., Beach, E., Schooler, J. W., and Handy, T. C. 2008. Going AWOL in the brain: mind wandering cortical analysis of external events. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 20:458–69. doi:10.1162/jocn.2008.20037

[4] ↑ Kam, J. W. Y., Dao, E., Blinn, P., Krigolson, O. E., Boyd, L. A., and Handy, T. C. 2012. Mind wandering and motor control: off-task thinking disrupts the online adjustment of behavior. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 6:329. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00329

Wander vs. Wonder: How To Use Each Word

  • Wonder Vs. Wander

⚡ Quick summary

The verb wander (pronounced [ won -der ]) typically means “to roam” or “to meander.” The word wonder (pronounced [ wuhn -der ]) is typically used as a verb to mean “to think curiously,” “to be amazed,” or “to doubt.” As a noun, it’s used to mean “something strange and surprising,” “a miraculous deed or event,” or “the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising.”   

The words wander and wonder look very similar, but they have very different meanings and uses. 

In this article, we will define wander and wonder , explain how we use them differently, and provide example sentences that show how we typically use them in sentences. 

wonder  vs. wander

The word wonder (pronounced [ wuhn -der ]) is used as a verb and a noun. As a verb, it typically means “to think curiously,” “to be amazed,” or “to doubt.” 

For example:

  • I wonder what will happen at the party this weekend. 
  • They wondered at the amazing acrobatics of the circus performers.
  • I wonder if Oscar can really speak Spanish like he claims. 

Wonder is also used as a noun to mean “something strange and surprising,” “a miraculous deed or event,” or “the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising.” 

  • The collection was filled with wonders from around the world. 
  • The magician was able to perform such wonders as turning dirt into gold. 
  • We were filled with wonder as we watched the firework show. 

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The word wander (pronounced [ won -der ]) is typically used as a verb to mean “to move about without a set path, to roam,” “to follow a circuitous route, to meander,” and “to take a direction without conscious intent, as with thoughts,” as well as several other similar meanings. 

  • She wandered through the woods for a while before she found a lake.
  • The story started out good, but then it wandered off into a confusing mess. 
  • He was so bored that his mind began to wander into thoughts of lunch.

It is possible to use the word wander as a noun, but this usage is rare. Instead, the noun sense of wandering is much more likely to be used. By contrast, both the noun and verb sense of wonder are commonly used.  

Examples of wander and wonder in a sentence

Let’s amble into some amazing sentences that show how we typically use wander and wonder .

  • They got lost on the way to the pool and wandered into the sauna. 
  • As a kid, I always wondered about how different machines worked.
  • The president wandered off on a tangent about pizza before getting back to his speech. 
  • The wizard’s tower was full of magical wonders, including a flying carpet. 
  • We were full of wonder as we wandered through the science museum.

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Wander or Wonder?

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600+ Confusing Words Explained E-Book Let’s learn when to use wander vs. wonder. Should we say “I was wandering” or “I was wondering”?

Wander and wonder are two completely different words, but sometimes English learners confuse them because of their similar spelling and pronunciation.

For more simple and clear lessons about the differences between confusing words in English, get my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained!  These are words that English learners often ask me about, or often make mistakes with – and when you read this e-book, you can avoid those mistakes and use these words correctly.

Wander or Wonder? Espresso English

Wander: meaning & examples

Wander is a physical activity.

It means to move around (usually walking) without a specific destination or purpose:

  • On the first day of my trip, I spent a couple hours wandering around the city.
  • We wandered through the park, looking at the flowers.
  • I was wandering through the forest, enjoying the fresh air.

We typically wander around or wander through an area.

If you have small children or pets, you want to keep watching them to make sure they don’t  wander off  (meaning move away from you, without a specific definition). Note that it’s always  wander off,  never “wonder off.”

Wonder: Meaning & examples

Wonder is a mental activity.

It means to feel curiosity, to want to know something.

  • I wonder what happened to my friend from elementary school? We haven’t been in touch for years.
  • Your wife is wondering what time you’ll be home – please give her a call.
  • I’m wondering whether the food at that restaurant is any good.

We typically use wonder + a question word or wonder + whether/if for situations that are “yes or no.”:

  • I wonder when the supermarket closes. (Example answer: 6PM)
  • I wonder if the supermarket is open right now. (Example answer: Yes)
  • I’m wondering how he got that job without any experience.
  • I’m wondering whether I should look for a new job.

Note: This is the verb form of “wonder.” There is also a noun form, which means “awe or admiration.”

Pronunciation of Wander and Wonder

The WAN of wander is like the WAN of “want.”

The WON of wonder is like the words “won” or “one.”

I hope you feel more confident in how to use wander vs. wonder and wandering vs. wondering!

Clear up your doubts about confusing words… and use English more confidently!

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Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

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Wonder vs. Wander: What is the Difference?

Home » Wonder vs. Wander: What is the Difference?

Not only are wonder and wander spelled almost the same, some people also pronounce them very similarly. This can be very confusing for someone who isn’t totally comfortable understanding imprecise, casually spoken English.

Some writers also mix up the meanings of these words, even though they mean quite different things and aren’t interchangeable. These mistakes can damage your credibility and confuse your readers.

Read on to find out how to tell the difference between wonder and wander, and how to use each one correctly.

What is the Difference Between Wander and Wonder?

In this article, I will compare wander vs. wonder. I will use each in a word in their proper context to illustrate their correct use. Plus, at the end, I will show you an easy trick to help choose whether to use wander or wonder.

When to Use Wander

wonder versus wander

Wander is a regular verb. You can add -ed to form the past and past participle tenses, and -ing to form the present participle.

See the following examples.

  • Kelsey wandered through the mall for an hour.
  • Jack Kerouac spent several years wandering around the United States in the 1940s.
  • The zone was an effort to protect park wolves who wander outside of its boundaries. – The Washington Post

Wander can also be used in a figurative sense, like in these sentences,

  • During the long lecture, Laura’s mind began to wander.
  • Our conversation finally wandered away from politics.

When to Use Wonder

Define wander and define wonder

Here are some examples,

  • I wonder how long the bridge will be under construction.
  • “How old is Marc?” Alex wondered aloud.
  • “I was just wondering, does the burger come with fries and a drink?” Carlos asked.
  • Yet it’s hard to look at the valuation question and wonder just what investors can realistically expect over the next months and years, and whether that’s enough to justify stocks at these prices. – The Wall Street Journal

Wonder is also a noun that means a state of amazement or excitement, like in this example,

  • Erin gazed in wonder at the splendor of the esplanade.

An object of great beauty or magnificence could also be called a wonder.

Here is an example,

  • The Great Pyramid of Gaza is one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Definition of wonder definition of wander

Wander means to travel aimlessly. Wonder means to question or imagine as a verb, and a state of wonder or excitement or a magnificent object as a noun.

You can remember the verb meaning of wonder if you notice that it is spelled almost exactly like the word ponder , which also deals with imagining or thinking about something. They are only one letter apart, and they both deal with processes that involve thought.

Is it wander or wonder? Even though wander and wonder are spelled very similarly, they have very different meanings. Wander deals with traveling or moving, while wonder deals with thinking, questioning, and being amazed.

To summarize,

  • To wander means to travel or move.
  • To wonder means to think, question, or ponder.

It’s easy to keep these words straight. Wonder is spelled almost exactly the same as ponder , and both can mean to think about something. If aren’t sure whether to use wonder or wander, this trick should help.

You could also check this website if you need a refresher, or any time you have a question about writing.

Psych 256: Cognitive Psychology, 002, SP24

Making connections between theory and reality..

Mind Wandering and Studying

Have you ever read a book, got to the end of the page, and realized you do not remember what you just read? It’s called mind wandering and it is more common than you think; “we mind wander 30%-50% of the time on our daily lives” (Hollis & Was, 2016). Mind wandering is thoughts coming from within. You may also hear people call this day dreaming. Mind wandering is typically associated with the default mode network (DMN). The DMN “becomes activated when a person is not involved with a task” (Goldstein, E. B., 2021).  A study was done on the areas of the brain involved with spontaneous thought and mind wandering. Results showed that all major regions of the DMN were involved during mind wandering and spontaneous thought (Fox et al., 2015). So, while the DMN is considered our “resting” state, it still plays a part within our mind wandering and spontaneous thought. Mind wandering can be harmful especially to college students who need to study.

There are many times I am reading a chapter or taking notes and I cannot remember anything. I end up having to reread often, thus wasting time. My mind tends to wander more often when I am stressed about something. I tend to overthink, and it ends up distracting me from my task. I learned quickly that my mind wandering happened more often when I was in an actual classroom. With generalized anxiety, I’m constantly worrying how others perceive me. Do I look too fat while sitting down, what does my hair look like from the back etc. This is why I take online classes but online lectures can have its own distractions.

Mind wandering can be an issue when it comes to a student’s performance. Personally, the mind wandering causes me to take longer on my assignments. I noticed at a younger age my mind wandering happened most in Math and History as they were my least favorite subjects. A study was conducted to see if studying one’s interest would have less mind wandering. The results showed that “individual differences in motivation and interest play important roles in mind wandering” (He et al., 2023).

As online students, the internet can be a distraction. I see this problem myself, specifically with social media. I’ve learned to keep my phone at a distance to keep myself from getting distracted. A study was conducted and results showed that within a 15 minute study session, students on average lasted 6 minutes of being on task before watching TV and visiting social media sites (Goldstein, E. B., 2021).

In conclusion, mind wandering is very common and happens to everyone. Some indicators such as environment, task, and subject matter may influence how much one deals with mind wandering. Mind wandering can be seen in a variety of tasks not just studying, it happens while we are driving, reading a book, listening to others talk etc. Once our minds start to wander we lose focus on the task at hand.

Fox, K. C. R., Spreng, R. N., Ellamil, M., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Christoff, K. (2015). The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes. NeuroImage , 111 , 611–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.039

Goldstein, E. B. (2021). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience. Cengage.

He, H., Chen, Y., Li, T., Li, H., & Zhang, X. (2023). The role of focus back effort in the relationships among motivation, interest, and mind wandering: An individual difference perspective. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications , 8 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-023-00502-0

Hollis, R. B., & Was, C. A. (2016). Mind wandering, control failures, and social media distractions in online learning. Learning and Instruction , 42 , 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.007

One thought on “ Mind Wandering and Studying ”

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Hello Julie!

This post stood out to me because I am such a victim of mind wandering and I’m always looking into ways to improve my focus. Like you, I experience mind wandering most in subjects I am uninterested in, but it can really happen anytime. Sometimes it feels like no matter what I’m trying to do, I just can’t seem to engage with the task, and it feels like my attention is a heavy weight I keep trying to drag back to the present moment and it just sinks back down so quickly. An extended version of mind wandering that I also experience is maladaptive daydreaming. According to the Journal of Psychotherapy, “Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning. Identified MD functions included Disengagement from Stress and Pain by Mood Enhancement and Wish Fulfillment Fantasies; and Companionship, Intimacy, and Soothing” (â€ȘMaladaptive Daydreaming: A Qualitative Inquiry‬, n.d.). Does your mind wandering ever fall into this territory and if so, do you think your purposes for such match any of the listed themes? I identify with mood enhancement and escape from pain and stress.

Thanks for the interesting post!

Reference â€ȘMaladaptive daydreaming: A qualitative inquiry‬. (n.d.). https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=cIDL8CEAAAAJ&citation_for_view=cIDL8CEAAAAJ:mVmsd5A6BfQC

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Why Your Mind Wanders While Reading & How To Stop It

why your mind wanders when reading and how to stop it

This post contains affiliate links.

You’re reading a new book and after a few pages in you completely forgot what you just read. Turns out, your mind was wandering while you were reading. Sounds familiar? As an avid reader, I’ve had plenty of experiences like this and have found a way to live with it which I’m going to share with you.

Your mind wanders likely because you have a short attention span. By listening to music that is 50-80 bpm, incorporating rest breaks, and breaking the reading materials into sections, my mind wandered less and I was able to focus more on what I’m reading.

Ahead, we will look at some of the most common reasons why your mind wanders. We will also look at some strategies you can use to stop your mind from wandering while reading.

Why Your Mind Wanders While You’re Reading

Wondering what causes your mind to wander while you’re reading a book? Here are some of the most common reasons.

You’re Processing Too Much Information at Once

One reason why your mind might wander while you’re reading is that you’re trying to process too much information at once.

When you’re bombarded with a lot of information, your brain has trouble focusing on any of it.

To avoid this, try to break down the material into smaller chunks. For example, if you’re reading a chapter in a book, read one section at a time and then understand it.

Some books split a chapter into sections which makes it so much easier to read.

Or if you’re reading an article online, read one section at a time and then scroll down to the next section.

The Book Bores You

Another reason why your mind might wander while you’re reading is that you’re bored. If you find yourself zoning out or daydreaming, it’s likely because the material isn’t interesting to you.

If you’ve been reading a lot, you probably experienced this at least once.

I have multiple times. And even though The Intelligent Investor is considered by Warren Buffet as the best investing book of all time, I just can’t read it without my mind wandering.

You’re Reading In A Busy Environment

If you’re trying to read in a place where there are a lot of distractions, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to focus.

Your mind will wander because it’s constantly trying to process all of the different stimuli around you.

You Have A Short Attention Span

If you find that your mind wanders often, it could be because you have a short attention span.

There are several “tricks” that could boost your attention span a bit longer which we will talk about in the next subheading.

But ultimately, if you have a short attention span consider practicing meditation daily.

And since most of us have a short attention span (according to a study, our attention dropped from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to just 8 seconds today . Yikes! ), it’d probably help a lot if we could just get the key insights of the book and apply them to our lives.

Luckily, you can do that now.

Blinkist is an educational program that gives you the key insights into more than 5,000 nonfiction book titles in 15 to 20 mins each.

That way, you can skip through the fluff, get the information you need while you’re attention is full, and move on to the next book.

If you like what it does, you can save 20% off your first year if you sign up through this link .

You Read Too Slow

Jim Kwik, the author of Limitless , has a very good analogy for this.

Reading a book is like driving a car. If you drive slow, your mind wanders. You can sing along to your favorite music, drink some smoothies, or talk to your best bud.

But what if you’re driving on a race track? Suddenly, you’re in hyperfocus on the road.

His argument was, that it’s the same for reading. And frankly, for some books, I kinda agree.

Speed reading is a great tool to have when you’re an avid reader. And if you’re wondering why you read too slow, I listed the most common reasons in another article.

Related post: Can You Really Learn To Read Faster? (Based on Experience)

How To Stop Your Mind From Wandering

Now that we’ve looked at some of the reasons why your mind wanders while you’re reading, let’s look at some strategies you can use to stop it.

Find More Engaging Material

If you find that your mind wanders often, one of the best things you can do is to find more engaging material.

You can also try looking for material that’s more interesting to you. This could mean reading a book that’s more exciting or finding articles online that are better written.

Try Listening To Music

In the book Limitless , Jim Kwik shared a very simple tip to focus better—listening to music.

Studies have shown that listening to music with a beat of 50-80 bpm can help you focus.

Baroque music seems to be better at stimulating your brain to focus compared to other types of music.

But, if you can’t stand the sound of classics, stick to music without any lyrics on them to prevent your mind from singing along.

Take Breaks

You can also try taking breaks every 20 minutes or so. This will give your mind a chance to rest and reset.

There’s a method I use called the Promodoro and it has changed the way I read dramatically.

Basically, Promodoro is alternate bouts of 25 work (in this case, reading) and 5 mins rest.

I found that I am able to read the book faster and retain more information by reading that way.

During the rest, do absolutely nothing or just do something that relaxes you.

Don’t scroll through your Facebook or Instagram feed.

In my experience, the content from these platforms often leads me to mental wandering, and distraction. And in some cases, I’d even skip my next bout of 25 mins work just to continue scrolling.

Find A Quiet Place

Find a quiet place where you can focus on your reading. This could be in a library, in your bedroom, or even in a park.

The key is to find a place where you won’t be interrupted and where there aren’t a lot of distractions.

Eliminate Distractions

Eliminate as many distractions as possible. This means putting away your phone, turning off the TV, and closing any tabs that you’re not using.

The goal is to create an environment where you can focus solely on your reading.

Practice Meditation

If you find that your mind wanders often, it could be because you have a short attention span. One way to increase your attention span is to practice meditation.

Meditation has been shown to increase focus and concentration. It also helps to train your mind to be more present.

Start by meditating for 5 minutes a day and then gradually increase the amount of time you meditate each day.

How Can You Tell When Your Mind Has Wandered Off?

There are a few telltale signs that your mind has wandered off when reading.

First, you may find that you’re losing track of what you’re reading. You might have to reread the same section multiple times or have trouble following the plot.

Secondly, you may start daydreaming or thinking about other things. This can be a sign that you’re not engaged with the material.

Finally, you may feel restless or antsy. If you can’t sit still while you’re reading, it’s likely because your mind is wandering.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s a good idea to take a break and refocus your attention.

Is There A Way To Completely Stop Your Mind From Wandering While You Read?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely prevent your mind from wandering while you read. However, the strategies I discussed above can help you minimize the amount of time your mind spends wandering.

The key is to find what works for you and to be patient. It takes time and practice to train your mind to focus. But, if you stick with it, you’ll eventually get there.

If you find your mind wandering while you’re reading, don’t worry. It’s completely normal. However, there are a few things you can do to minimize the amount of time your mind spends wandering.

Try finding more engaging material, listening to music, taking breaks, practicing meditation, or eliminating distractions. Find what works for you and stick with it. With time and practice, you’ll be able to train your mind to focus.

mind wondering or wandering

Nicho Mauricio is the main author of improvementbuddy.com, a website dedicated to giving self-improvement advice. As an avid learner, Nicho shares what he learns about self-improvement one blog post at a time.

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  1. Mind Wandering Offers Countless Enriching Benefits

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  2. Mind-wandering

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  3. Mind Wandering: How It Helps and Harms Learning

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  4. The Difference Between Mind Wandering and Mind Wondering

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  5. The Wandering Mind: How the Brain Allows Us to Mentally Wander Off to

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  6. New study to probe the secrets of mind wandering

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COMMENTS

  1. The Difference Between Mind Wandering and Mind Wondering

    Mind wandering can cause us to ruminate in the past, stew in worry about the future, or obsess over others' perceptions of us. Mind wondering, on the other hand, is a playful and curious state in which the mind wonders about something it finds particularly interesting. In mind wondering, our thoughts amble through an inviting and invigorating ...

  2. How to tame a wandering mind: 12 ways to refocus your mind

    Physical activity, like a short walk or shaking out your arms and legs in between meetings, can interrupt the cycle of mind wandering and re-energize your focus. 💙 If the mind is wandering, try bringing it back to the present moment through movement. Check out Mindful Movement with Mel Mah. 7. Use grounding exercises.

  3. Mind-wandering

    Mind-wandering. Mind-wandering is loosely defined as thoughts that are not produced from the current task. Mind-wandering consists of thoughts that are task-unrelated and stimulus-independent. [1] [2] This can be in the form of three different subtypes: positive constructive daydreaming, guilty fear of failure, and poor attentional control.

  4. How to Tame Your Wandering Mind

    Find counselling to help with ADHD. The first step to mastering mind-wandering is to plan time for it. Use a schedule maker and block off time in your day to let your thoughts flow freely. You ...

  5. Let Your Mind Wander

    Mind wandering is a universal human experience rooted in evolution and brain science. Creative thinking and problem-solving happen when people's minds wander. Mind wandering also allows ...

  6. Why Do Our Minds Wander?

    A scientist says mind-wandering or daydreaming help prepare us for the future. Scientists are beginning to understand when and why minds start to wander. Knowable Magazine. When psychologist ...

  7. How to Focus a Wandering Mind

    Ironically, mind-wandering itself can help strengthen our ability to focus, if leveraged properly. This can be achieved using an age-old skill: meditation. Indeed, a new wave of research reveals what happens in our brains when our minds wander—and sheds light on the host of cognitive and emotional benefits that come with increased focus.

  8. Brain science suggests "mind wandering" can help manage anxiety

    Brain science suggests "mind wandering" can help manage anxiety. November 17, 2016. By Srini Pillay, MD, Contributor. When we think of anxiety disorders, we generally think of them as uncomfortable emotional responses to threat. These responses may include symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, or absolute ...

  9. The science of a wandering mind

    The science of a wandering mind. More than just a distraction, mind-wandering (and its cousin, daydreaming) may help us prepare for the future. When psychologist Jonathan Smallwood set out to study mind-wandering about 25 years ago, few of his peers thought that was a very good idea. How could one hope to investigate these spontaneous and ...

  10. Why Do Our Minds Wander?

    This is intriguing, as it puts pressure on the idea that mind-wandering is quite so passive, or as much a matter of withdrawing from the world, as some scientists have been inclined to support ...

  11. How Mind-Wandering May Be Good For You

    In fact, they add, mind-wandering may "serve as a foundation for creative inspiration.". As a more recent study found, mind-wandering improved people's creativity above and beyond the positive effects of their reading ability or fluid intelligence, the general ability to solve problems or puzzles. Mind-wandering seems to involve the ...

  12. A Wandering Mind Isn't Just A Distraction. It May Be Your Brain's

    Mind-wandering bears similarities with the thinking processes underlying ADHD, anxiety and creativity. Even if you don't consider yourself a daydreamer, you probably spend a lot of time in a state of mental wandering ― it's natural for your mind to drift away from the present moment when you're in the shower, walking to work or doing ...

  13. Why Mind Wandering Can Be Actually Good For You

    Brain science shows mind wandering can have surprising mental health benefits. getty. Whether it's thinking about your goals, running future scenarios, replaying old memories or simply wondering ...

  14. New Science: Why Our Brains Spend 50% Of The Time Mind-Wandering

    The debate about mind-wandering. On the depressing side of the debate, Matt Killingsworth's Track Your Happiness project concluded that mind-wandering makes us unhappy. His data showed that our ...

  15. The Wandering Mind: How the Brain Allows Us to Mentally Wander Off to

    A unique human characteristic is our ability to mind wander—these are periods of time when our attention drifts away from the task-at-hand to focus on thoughts that are unrelated to the task. Mind wandering has some benefits, such as increased creativity, but it also has some negative consequences, such as mistakes in the task we are supposed to be performing.

  16. Mind Wandering

    Mind Wandering and Other Lapses. J. Smallwood, in Encyclopedia of Consciousness, 2009 Mind wandering is a universal human experience in which the focus of attention temporarily shifts from what we are doing. This article describes how to conceptualize these shifts in attention as changes in the flow of information through an attentional system and considers the different explanations offered ...

  17. How to Refocus a Wandering Mind (15 Practical Solutions)

    A wandering mind is a hotbed of negative and vain thoughts. A Harvard study reveals that wandering minds are directly related to unhappiness. [1] "A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost."

  18. Wander vs. Wonder: How To Use Each Word

    The words wander and wonder look very similar, but they have very different meanings and uses.. In this article, we will define wander and wonder, explain how we use them differently, and provide example sentences that show how we typically use them in sentences.. wonder vs. wander. The word wonder (pronounced [ wuhn-der ]) is used as a verb and a noun.. As a verb, it typically means "to ...

  19. Wondering vs Wandering: Differences And Uses For Each One

    Key Takeaways. There is a significant difference between "wondering" and "wandering.". "Wondering" refers to a state of curiosity or inquiry, while "wandering" refers to physical movement without a specific destination or purpose. Using these words correctly is important to avoid confusion or miscommunication.

  20. How to Use Wander vs. wonder Correctly

    Wander vs. wonder. To wander is to move about with no destination or purpose. Wandering is a physical activity, though the word is sometimes used figuratively for nonphysical actions that are aimless (e.g., a movie or a conversation might wander). To wonder is to feel curiosity, to be in doubt, or to have a feeling of admiration.

  21. Wander or Wonder?

    Wander: meaning & examples. Wander is a physical activity. It means to move around (usually walking) without a specific destination or purpose: On the first day of my trip, I spent a couple hours wandering around the city. We wandered through the park, looking at the flowers. I was wandering through the forest, enjoying the fresh air.

  22. Wonder vs. Wander: What is the Difference?

    Here is a helpful trick to remember wonder vs. wander. Wander means to travel aimlessly. Wonder means to question or imagine as a verb, and a state of wonder or excitement or a magnificent object as a noun. You can remember the verb meaning of wonder if you notice that it is spelled almost exactly like the word ponder, which also deals with ...

  23. Mind Wandering and Studying

    Mind wandering can be seen in a variety of tasks not just studying, it happens while we are driving, reading a book, listening to others talk etc. Once our minds start to wander we lose focus on the task at hand. References. Fox, K. C. R., Spreng, R. N., Ellamil, M., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Christoff, K. (2015). The wandering brain: Meta ...

  24. Why Your Mind Wanders While Reading & How To Stop It

    One reason why your mind might wander while you're reading is that you're trying to process too much information at once. When you're bombarded with a lot of information, your brain has trouble focusing on any of it. To avoid this, try to break down the material into smaller chunks. For example, if you're reading a chapter in a book ...