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Maladaptive Daydreaming: Resistance to Daydreaming Will make it Worse
Today, I’ll address the question of resisting the urge to stop excessive daydreaming. What I’ve observed is that people often try to psych themselves up and resist their compulsive daydreaming. In reality, I’ve noticed that when people attempt to resist it with great determination, it becomes counterproductive.
You might have heard the saying, “What you resist, persists.” The more you resist daydreaming or its control over your life, the more it persists. There are a couple of reasons for this.
Firstly, when you try to resist something, your focus remains on it. If you’re resisting daydreaming, you’re inadvertently focusing on daydreaming itself rather than your real life. This focus can lead to an obsession. Even when you’re not actively daydreaming, you remain preoccupied with the fact that you’re a daydreamer.
If you shift your focus to your real life after snapping back from a daydream, there’s a higher chance that your daydreaming will decrease because you’re no longer obsessing over it.
The second aspect to consider is self-criticism. When you work hard to stop something or even reach the point of hating it, you may start beating yourself up for not being able to stop it. This self-criticism leads to increased stress and anxiety in your real life. Stress and anxiety are the main triggers for excessive daydreaming, which can create a vicious cycle.
You initially wanted to stop daydreaming, but now you’re trapped in a cycle of self-criticism and heightened stress. As a result, you may end up daydreaming even more. What began as an attempt to control daydreaming has become even more uncontrollable.
The key is not to resist the fact that daydreaming feels uncontrollable. Instead, acknowledge its presence and how it affects your life. Seek ways to manage it rather than trying to resist or deny its impact on your life. By being watchful and accepting, you can take more effective steps toward managing your daydreaming.
Note from the Author
If you’re ready and you’d like my help with overcoming and managing maladaptive daydreaming without spending years in therapy, then you can book a FREE BREAKTHROUGH CALL with me HERE. Happy healing 💙💙. Feel free to share and comment! Use this information with caution, it comes from my own thoughts & bias, experiences and research😊.