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# Daydreaming vs. worrying
- URL: https://www.gilespcroft.com/daydreaming-vs-worrying/
- Published: 2024-06-21T07:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-17T12:51:07.000Z
- Description: “Is it ok to daydream?” is a question I have been asked many a time 💭
- Author: Giles P Croft
- Tags: Thought realisation, Anxiety, Attention, Cycling, IMPLICATIONS, Mental Health, Moods, Nature & Outdoors, Presence, Real stories, Resilience

The other day, in the context of a bike ride I went on, I alluded to [different modes of thinking](https://www.gilespcroft.com/modes-of-thinking/) and, in an attempt to keep things simple, I ended up settling for two broad types:

1. Active/Analytical thinking
2. Passive/Perceptual thinking

I then briefly mentioned **daydreaming and worrying**, so let’s have a look at those, shall we?

I see both of these as variants on 1: ‘Active/analytical’ thinking and here’s how it plays out, for me at least:

### Daydreaming

I’ll be out walking or cycling (both of which get done mostly on autopilot), and essentially I’m letting my mind future-project. It’s creating a story, with Giles as the central character, and while it lasts, it’s fun. 

It can even be a coping mechanism of sorts, if it’s a particularly gruelling feat I’m attempting and I’m struggling physically - a case of ‘taking my mind off it’, if you will.

Daydreaming has quite a nice feel to it. 

Then, maybe because I’m outdoors, doing things out in nature, surrounded by real, actual life and not stuck in left-brain-human-world, I really notice when my mood suddenly drops. It doesn’t take long at all to become aware of this.

It’s like, *“Ooh, I was feeling good and now I’m feeling bad.”*

### Worrying

And that’s my signal that I’ve flipped over from daydreaming, into worry. Giles is still the central character, and it’s still all just a story that the mind is creating, but now it’s creating problems, too. Problems it can’t fix. Because they’re made up. By it.

🤦🏻‍♂️

Nice and simple.

What’s important is the feeling. Noticing the difference.

**Daydreaming feels pleasant** (e.g. I'm imagining cycle touring in heavily wooded, mountainous foreign climes, where I don’t speak the lingo… and yes I appreciate this would count as ‘worry’ for some of you - but hey, we all live in [separate realities](https://www.gilespcroft.com/8-billion-separate-realities/)!)

**Worrying doesn’t feel pleasant** (e.g. I'm imagining falling off my bike out in the wilds, or remembering previous over-use injuries from such exploits, or the mind's telling me I don't have the money or time to go and do something like that in the first place).

### Stopping

Now, the key with worry isn’t to try and out-daydream it, reason with it, re-frame it or rationalise it.

That way madness lies.

*(See that thought-fire over there?* 🔥 *Here, go pour this thought-accelerant fuel on it and see what happens.* ⛽️💥🔥🔥🔥)

No, the key with worry is to *spot the feeling* and remember ***it’s just a story!***

It’s been dreamed up! By the mind!

Just by being *aware* of what’s going on, you can let the story go and relax back into passive/perceptual thinking (which is the Now).

That’s why feelings are so important. 

They’re our guide.

If you want an easier life, listen to them!

💟

Giles

### Related

[The many outfits of egoThe mind doesn’t like presence. It will do anything to catch your attention. 🧥![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/icon/DR_Lockup-Black-3-398.png)The Daily RemindersGiles P Croft![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1608739872119-f78feab7f976-3)](https://www.gilespcroft.com/the-many-outfits-of-ego/)

Contains the line: **“Disquiet is, by definition, ego.”*