Daydreaming is one of life’s great joys. You can indulge in it when you’re stuck in a boring meeting or a long queue. This seemingly innocuous pastime, however, is a double-edged sword. Some research has found that it boosts creativity, but other studies suggest that it is bad for your mental health and could lower your intelligence.
Before we look at the downside to daydreaming, let’s first look at the positive side. In a study conducted by psychologists at the University of California–Santa Barbara, undergraduate students were asked to come up with as many uses for everyday objects—such as toothpicks, clothes hangers, and bricks—as they could in two minutes, take a 12-minute break, and then repeat the exercise.
