Happiness Goal #1: Daydream for 10 minutes a day

Welcome to the Happiness Goals Countdown. Today you’ll learn how daydreaming makes you happier!

But before you let your mind wander;) let’s find out why your first happiness goal is to daydream for 10 minutes a day.

Daydreaming for joyful anticipation and hope

One reason daydreaming works is that it lets you hope, imagine and joyfully anticipate, all of which are strongly linked to happiness in research studies. For instance, strengths-based tests - which look at the impact of character strengths such as curiosity, gratitude, hope and humor on happiness - have found a strong correlation between hope and life satisfaction, among both adults and young adults.

Joyful anticipation is also linked to more meaning and engagement in life. Peterson and his colleagues found that not only is hope connected to life satisfaction, but that it was a strength associated with pleasure, engagement and meaning: a behavior that made possible a full life.

Daydreaming for quiet time

Another reason daily daydreaming increases your happiness is that it gives you a break. You get to step away from the constant focus demanded by modern life. Research supports the link between quiet time and happiness. A 2012 study by Davidson and McEwen identified daily quiet time as a way to promote well-being.

When you daydream, you also process feelings and explore interests. It’s your mind’s natural way of building your personal big picture. As you become more mindful of what’s working and not working in your life, you’ll feel more in control and happier.

Daydreaming for subconscious problem solving

As you practice daily daydreaming, your brain will do background work on your hopes and challenges. Baird showed in the 2012 study “Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation” that daydreaming improved problem solving. Solving some problems will certainly make you happy!

How to get started with this happiness goal

Daydreaming increases happiness because you:

• Slow down and tune into your subconscious.
• Give yourself quiet time.
• Let yourself hope, imagine and joyfully anticipate.

It’s easy to get started. Find a quiet place. Relax and let your mind fill in the blanks. Joyfully anticipate. Let your subconscious do the work. The fresh perspective you gain will boost your happiness.

So add the goal of daydreaming for 10 minutes to your happy list! Click the button at the top of this article "I'm adding this to my list" and commit to a happier new year with this happiness goal as a resolution.

Stay tuned for the next happy goal in the Happiness Goals Countdown and subscribe if you haven't already. There’s so much yet to learn about happiness.

Artists: Marcus Stone, serafine-enifares