By now, I have probably spent more time making up fake scenarios than watching movies. Mostly potential future conversations and (highly improbable) situations, but also revisited scenes from the past. There is probably nothing in this world that I haven’t yet thought of. And even though it’s fun imagining all those things, it can sometimes be hard to focus on my real life and the stuff that needs to get done. That prompted me to look into fake scenarios a little closer and I actually found a few interesting things.
Why we do it
I always thought fake scenarios were just for entertainment, but turns out, there are actually reasons why we create them.
1.Prepare for difficult/important Situations
One of the most fascinating things about imagination is that our brain has trouble drawing the line between what really happened and what was only in our heads. That means, that if we imagine something vividly, it can have the same effect as actually practising or rehearsing in real life. So imagining situations that we will face in the future can help us to prepare for them.
2.Problem Solving
This is a thin line, but when we imagine worst-case scenarios and think of solutions for them, we can feel less anxious. The key is just to not spiral into negative thoughts, because that can get dangerous.
3.Escaping Reality
Making up fake scenarios in order to escape reality can feel similar to scrolling, actually. I personally have often used fake scenarios for procrastination, which can be quite frustrating because it’s even harder to get rid of than your phone (you can’t just throw your brain at the wall). We can also imagine scenarios that have already happened and give them a different ending in our heads.
4.Out of Habit
This isn’t the initial cause of course, but if you have been making up fake scenarios for a while, you may just be doing it out of habit. It starts as an escape- or coping mechanism and then you just keep doing it.
When daydreaming can become a problem
So there is definitely a positive side to daydreaming/scenarios. If you pay attention to which ones come up again and again, that can help you find out what you really want. Additionally, there is the problem-solving and preparation part I mentioned.
But when does all of this become a problem?
There is something called maladaptive daydreaming, which refers to the action of daydreaming or making up scenarios in your head to the degree that it interferes with your daily life. When you find it hard to stop thinking about the scenarios and you keep coming back to them throughout the day when you should be doing other things, it becomes a problem.
Another way that daydreaming can have negative consequences is when you start spiraling in worst-case scenarios without ever getting to a solution.
Generally speaking, the problem starts when you stop controlling your thoughts and they start controlling you.
How to stop (if necessary)
I think we can agree by now that fake scenarios aren’t necessarily a bad thing and that there isn’t always a need to even stop. But when it does get out of control, here are a few tactics that might help:
1.meditation
Meditation was the number 1 solution that came up in pretty much every single article on the topic. And it makes sense, since meditation is literally all about choosing which thoughts to engage with and which ones to let pass.
2.notice when scenarios occur and what triggers them
This technique was very helpful to me with Social Media. Whenever you start daydreaming, you write a quick note about why you started. It’s important to write it down so that you’re really conscious about it. That way, you can recognise patterns and mentally prepare for tricky moments.
3.write down the thought behind recuring scenes
Writing down the thought that is behind the scenario helps to make peace with that thought and that quietens down the scenario a little. I like this one because it addresses the actual cause of the problem. For example, if you keep coming back to imagining different endings for a fight you had last week, the thought behind that could be that you are unhappy with the way things turned out. Recognising that thought can then lead to the realisation that you should probably talk to that person again.
4.set aside time to think
I have tried setting time aside to think in the past, but for me personally it hasn’t worked too well, because I get so immersed in my head that I have difficulty getting back on track afterwards. But I think if you’re not too deep in yet, this could work.
5.take a real world step
This one may work the best. If you are anxious about a conversation or any situation at all, it’s best to get it over with before you start spiralling. When you have a crush on someone you barely know, maybe take the small step and text them about something trivial before getting too deep into it. Although realistically we all know you will have already planned the wedding at that point and you will potentially have a list of names for your future children as well. Anyway, just taking the next small step can help reduce the anxiety.
As someone who has been spending a lot of time on fake scenarios for at least 10 years, actually looking into the concept a little closer was rather fascinating.
As usual, if anyone has any more ideas or tactics what helped them gain control of their brain, feel free to share 😊
Have a good day and I will see you next week 💕
🖥️sources:
https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/making-up-scenarios-in-your-head
