daydreaming

You know that moment when you’re stuck on a problem, then suddenly crack it in the shower or during a walk?

That’s not luck. It’s neuroscience.

Many different studies have found that we spend up to half our waking lives daydreaming — and there’s a reason we evolved that way. It reduces stress, aids creativity, and allows space for deeper thinking.

Contrary to popular belief, the human brain isn’t wired for endless focus. Studies show we can only sustain deep mental work for 4 to 5 hours a day at best. The rest of the time? Our minds need to rest, reset, and... yes, wander.

That wandering, daydreamy state we often write off as “lazy” is actually when our brain does some of its best behind-the-scenes work. Ideas connect. Emotions settle. Creativity sparks.

And yet…

Everywhere you look, the world is optimizing. Productivity hacks, morning routines, dopamine detoxes, 80-hour workweeks. You name it. We live in a culture that treats rest as a luxury, idleness as laziness, and doing nothing as a sin against success. The pressure is real — and it’s making us feel guilty for simply being human.

But “wasting time” isn’t something to fight against. It’s something we actually need.

Some of the most powerful fuel for creativity, problem-solving, and mental clarity doesn’t come from grinding harder — it comes from slowing down:

• A walk around the block

• Gardening, baking, painting, journaling

• Watching something silly

• Talking to a friend

• Reading something with no immediate benefit

They may feel unproductive — but they recharge you.

Here’s a real example: Back in the early 2000s, Google came up with this thing called the “20% time policy.”

Basically, employees got one day a week to work on anything they wanted. Even if it looked totally pointless. No deadlines, no managers breathing down their necks. Just space to think, tinker, and follow random sparks of curiosity. And guess what? That’s how Gmail and Google News were born — billion-dollar ideas that started from what looked like “doing nothing important.”

Even in Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) encouraged us to take breaks and not make life difficult for ourselves.

Take this hadith for example. This took place between the Prophet (PBUH) and Abdullah ibn Amr, a companion who used to fast every day and pray all night:

So the next time you feel guilty for resting, remind yourself: your body has a right over you. Your mind needs space. Your soul was not built for non-stop doing.

Sometimes, the most “productive” thing you can do...

is pause. Breathe. Wander a little.

You never know what your stillness might spark.