Like taking a quick walk outside when stress is building up in the office, the findings suggest that allowing our mind to wander reduces anxious feelings and improves our mood as well as our productivity. So daydreaming is good for our mental health as well as our performance at work? Pause whilst we schedule ‘swaying in a hammock on a beautiful white sand beach’ into our daily to-do list.

In an age where distraction lies quite literally at our fingertips in the form of aimless scrolling sessions on Instagram or ferocious Candy Crush marathons, the news that daydreaming is still a popular pursuit ought to be heartening. In recent years, there have been all sorts of conflicting studies surrounding the activity which, like the dreams we have at night, remains somewhat mysterious in terms of what actually happens to our brains when we do it. However, it’s easy to fathom how allowing our minds to wander once in a while could naturally promote creativity, foster positive thoughts and even lead to inspiration.

In the words of the writer Edgar Allan Poe, ‘those who dream by day are cognisant of many things which escape those who dream only by night’. So next time you get caught out, maybe you should try saying that to your boss. Once they get over their initial confusion over what ‘cognisant’ means hopefully they’ll be pleased you’re boosting your productivity.

This is why we should all be daydreaming more at work