Researchers have found that we tend to think about something other than what we’re doing about as often as we think about what we are doing – 46.9% of the time. Not only that, but what we are actually doing doesn’t seem to make a difference as minds wander about equally in most of our daily activities (with one exception: making love). And finally, a crucial point: people tend to be less happy, no matter the activity, when their mind is wandering than when it isn’t – even if the things they are thinking about are pleasant.

Mindfulness is active awareness, and it is important to always take the time to stop, to consider, to be aware of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Mindfulness is intentional remembering to be present and aware of our moment-by-moment activities. It is an antidote to our conditioned tendency for “autopilot” or mindlessness- an “unaware” way of being that is characterized primarily by a lack of attentive focus. And while mindfulness has many benefits- it can greatly improve our sense of self-regulation and self-control- and in so doing, impacts our performance and our well-being; not to mention that it can make us more creative and open-minded.

Studies have also shown that the more engaged we are, the better we feel- even in an activity that might strike us as boring. With sustained engagement, there is ultimately the sense of “flow” that is characterized by concentration; a state of focused attending that is needed to prevent a wandering mind. And when we experience this “flow”, we tend to feel happier overall, regardless of the mental effort involved. Furthermore, we are more motivated and more aroused, more likely to be productive and to create something of value.

We may be hard-wired to multi-task, even when we think we are only doing one thing, but we all have the inherent capacity to retrain our minds to be more attentive and focused. Mindfulness practice and meditation are effective instruments for this fine-tuning of mind, and for increasing our inner capacities for awareness and well-being.

Although a “wandering mind” may have some advantages such as allowing us to plan, to think abstractly, and to consider remotely conceptual possibilities- we sometimes have to draw in the reins, especially when bombarded with opportunities for distraction that play into our natural tendencies. With a mind that is attentively focused and concentrated, we are engaged and present. Here and now, we are open and free to be happy, productive, and well.

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