Hello? Hello… hey you, yeah you, quit zoning out for a minute.

   The phenomenon of zoning out is not a rarity, according to Live Sciences, citing a study conducted at University of California, Santa Barbara: “By monitoring the brain activity of study participants as they complete random tasks, the researchers have found that our minds spend up to 13 percent of the time offline. Furthermore, they’ve proven that, when zoned out, we have almost no idea what’s happening in the world around us” (livesciences.com).

   Within this subconscious state, the human brain activates what is called the “default mode network.” According to McGovern Institute, “…these parts of the brain activated when someone’s thoughts were drifting away from their immediate surroundings and deactivated when they were focused” (mcgovern.mit.edu). Science Direct says that this network “…encompasses the posterior and anterior cortical midline structures, with major hubs being located in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the angular gyrus (Andrews-Hanna et al., 2014),” meaning the research done in 2014 demonstrated that the activity is mostly concentrated in the frontmost and back parts of the brain (sciencedirect.com).

   According to The Swaddle, “Zoning out is the result of ‘decoupling hypothesis,’ … defined as the time when the brain dissociates attention from outward sensations. Basically, it decides that nothing very important or dangerous is happening, and hence, ends up cutting the connection between what’s happening in the outside world with the inside world” (theswaddle.com).

   Zoning out has the capacity to be either beneficial or detrimental. The break from actively reacting to stimuli gives us a chance to embrace creativity, according to The Swaddle (theswaddle.com). Northeastern University Psychology Professor and McGovern Institute Research Affiliate Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli said, “For many of us, mind wandering may be a healthy, positive and constructive experience, like reminiscing about the past, planning for the future, or engaging in creative thinking…. But for those suffering from mental illness such as depression, anxiety or psychosis, reminiscing about the past may transform into ruminating about the past, planning for the future may become obsessively worrying about the future and creative thinking may evolve into delusional thinking” (mcgovern.mit.edu).

   Zoning out is our brain’s way of going on energy saving mode. The next time you catch yourself drifting off, be grateful; this gift is one way we can regulate.