Do you find yourself “zoning out” or daydreaming on a regular basis? If so, you will be happy to know that a recent study conducted at the University of British Columbia has determined that the human brain is actually more active during this state than we used to think. In fact, the researchers found that the area of the brain that is associated with complex problem solving is actually more active while we daydream than it is when we perform routine tasks.

According to the researchers, daydreaming can take up as much as one-third of our time while we are awake. While it may look as if we are just wasting time while we daydream, the researchers have concluded that taking time to daydream is an important cognitive task tat helps us work on solving our important problems.

“Mind wandering is typically associated with negative things like laziness or inattentiveness,” reported the lead author, Professor Kalina Christoff, who is a member of the University of British Columbia’s Department of Psychology. “…This is a surprising finding, that these two brain networks are activated in parallel. Until now, scientist have thought they operated on an either-or basis – when one was activated, the other was thought to be dormant.”

Oddly, the researchers also found that both of the brain networks were more active if the subjects were less aware of the fact that they were daydreaming. So, if you find yourself daydreaming on a regular basis, you may actually be taking the right steps toward solving some sort of life issue or even putting together the pieces of that big essay or other project coming up in one of your college courses!