hi congrats on 1000!! i only found you a few days ago and you’ve helped me a lot already and you seem like a really awesome person (also im an infj too lol). so i am trying to cut back on my time spent daydreaming because my repetitive movement is swinging and it’s getting hot where i live, plus it’s tough when there’s bad weather and i can’t daydream. so i was wondering if there’s any other things i might be able to do like in the car (i have a long road trip coming up lol) or in the classroom? ive been all remote since around the time my daydreaming got really intense so im super worried about not being able to just go outside and swing whenever i get the urge. any ideas?
Thanks so much! I literally smiled while reading this :). And yay for INFJs!!!
Hmmmm... that's a good question. It's probably because I'm sleep deprived (oops!)... but are you asking what other repetitive movement to do when you get the urge to daydream or just how to cut back in general? I think it's more of the latter, but I'll just answer both to stay safe and hopefully one of the two answers are helpful!
So, if you are looking for something else that isn't as energy consuming/space consuming to do while daydreaming, here are a few suggestions I have:
1. Try finger movements. I have this thing where I tap all my fingers with the thumb, and then start over again. It could be something great to do while sitting that is less obvious and also not very energy consuming. Obviously, it's probably pretty hard to replace one repetitive movement with another, but it could be worth a shot! Or maybe just play around with other movements that are less obvious/less energy and space consuming.
2. Practice sitting daydreaming. I used to be a pacer when I was little. I still can be when I'm in the right situation. But usually I'm not in a place where I can do it. Plus, I'm lazy ;P. After lots of practice (usually when I didn't have any other choice) I've learned to sit and daydream, and now I almost prefer sitting over pacing. So, it could be worth a shot just trying to sit and daydream rather than swing your arms/pace.
If you are looking to cut down daydreaming all together, here are some suggestions:
1. Schedule daydreaming time. If you have specific times cut out of your day to daydream, then it can be something you look forward to rather than something you feel you must do whenever you get the urge. It can be hard at first to discipline yourself enough to wait. But if you do it enough, it'll become habit. Certain times/places will be associated with daydreaming while others are not and you may get less of an urge to daydream while in certain settings where you can't. For me, I always daydream before bed, when I'm doing specific chores, and when I'm on walks. Because of this, usually I'm able to focus fairly well doing other tasks because I know once I am doing a certain activity I will be able to daydream freely.
2. Whenever you get the urge to daydream, try naming three things you can see, hear, and feel. This is kind of a random one, but sometimes by forcing yourself to focus on the environment around you, you might be able to stop yourself from daydreaming. If you have to list nine things all together (three you can see, three you can hear, and three you can feel) you might be able to distract your brain enough to stop the urge from being so strong.
3. Find other things to occupy yourself with. This one is especially true for the car trip! Try reading a book, fanfiction, or taking one of those portable car games to keep you occupied. Maybe start counting how many animals you come across on the trip or how many red cars you pass, etc. You could even make a list of things to do once you get bored of one thing. Take paper and draw, play a game with those in the car with you (cards are great for this!), or google search car games. They might be lame, but if they help distract you, they could be great! Or, if you are able to practice sitting daydreaming, you might be able to plug some music in and sit and daydream without being very obvious. Personally, I'm pretty good at this. But it really varies from person to person. If this is something you can't do, then don't risk it! Another great thing to do in a vehicle to not daydream is sleep! I love catching up on sleep in the car, and for sure you won't be daydreaming then (you might be actually dreaming though ;P)
4. Keep writing. This one is more geared toward the school aspect. Even if you aren't taking notes, just write down what is happening in class. For example, if the teacher is coughing, write down that the teacher is coughing. It seems kind of dumb, but if it helps you stay completely focused on what is happening in the class, it could help your mind stay rooted in the present moment rather than in your daydreams. You could even reserve a separate notebook for these kinds of notes (just so they don't get mixed in with your normal notes)
I hope some of this is helpful! I wanted to get back to you soon so I have some advice for your road trip!
Here is a link to my resources page if you need more advice. Hopefully something in all this rambling or on that page is helpful! Wishing you all the best!!
