Image Source: Leila Ainge
Some snails can hibernate for up to three years. I don’t know why I know this random fact, but it was my immediate thought when I found a collection of snails stuck—perhaps more accurately, suctioned—against the bottom of a brick wall in the garden. I hoped I hadn’t disturbed them too much from their slumber as I yanked away the rotten fence panel that had perished under the weight of overgrown ivy.
This led me to a train of thought about hibernation, the popularity of the book Wintering by Katherine May, and the possibility that my enthusiasm for the New Year—with its promise of fresh starts and ambitious goals—might be out of sync with at least half of the population.
Then, in an Alanis Morissette kind of way, I wondered: isn’t it ironic? Because two of the main reasons people fail to achieve their goals and resolutions, according to a recent study, aren’t due to the need for mastery, attending a course, delegating life admin, or automating workflows. Instead, the culprits are failing to start—hello procrastination—and getting distracted by social media. Speaking of which, I love online spaces and communities.
Before we all nod in agreement that social media is indeed a terrible thief of time, let’s get some psychological perspective. Research suggests we spend an estimated 30–50% of our time distracted. Academic papers refer to this as “spontaneous off-task thoughts.” Case in point: I drifted into thoughts about snails and hibernation, followed by a flicker of self-doubt in a mindful moment while enthusiastically destroying that fence panel.
We don’t need social media to distract us, per se, but in the absence of pulling down fence panels or staring at garden walls, I guess social media fills the gap with a feed of thoughts we never knew we needed.
The important thing here is that I caught that small dose of self-doubt and turned it into curiosity. While clearing out the greenhouse for its annual wash-down (yes, I know, I sound like a diligent gardener at this point—but let’s be clear: last year, I neglected the greenhouse entirely. It rewilded itself all the way to the glass roof, leaving a terrible mess). Despite the frame being older than me, with seals and clips deteriorating faster than I can replace them, fresh tomatoes are worth it. Greenhouses are expensive to replace, so my advice is: wash yours down regularly.
Because of my erratic gardening style, I noticed bulbs with green shoots poking through. Naturally, I have no idea what they are. Is it too early for daffodils? Tomatoes, daffodils, and weeds are the only things I consistently grow well. It was the nudge I needed to remember that hibernation is not just a season but a cycle. Those snails were snoozing, and the bulb had woken up. In fact, I’m pretty sure I do more “autumning” than “wintering.” I aced sitting on the sofa, binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy for an impressive amount of time last year, as the silver birch leaves fell outside my window.
Chances are, unless you’re an actual snail, you’ll experience spontaneous thoughts no matter what personal season you’re in right now. This includes drifting into daydreams and creative thinking.
Spontaneous off-task thoughts are normal most of the time, but they can turn negative. Excessive rumination or worry can hold us back by shifting our attention away from the here and now. Psychologists are fascinated by attention, particularly when it affects cognitive performance, like being distracted while driving. Increasingly, we’re looking at individual differences in attention, notably ADHD, and how it relates to spontaneous off-task thoughts in adaptive and maladaptive forms. Based on podcast feedback, I know many listeners resonate with ADHD, so I’ll summarise some thoughts on that.
One key area of interest is the Default Mode Network (DMN). This isn’t a single brain area but a collection of regions thought to be involved in memory, planning for the future, and drawing conclusions. When we’re not focused on a task, the DMN “defaults” to internal thought processes.
The DMN was discovered in the late 1990s using PET scanning, where a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein, and the scanner tracks its movement through the body. Scientists observed decreased blood flow during active tasks requiring cognitive control compared to passive viewing of a stimulus.
Some researchers theorise that hyperactivation or dysfunction of the DMN contributes to attention lapses in people with ADHD. However, studying real-time distraction or spontaneous off-task thoughts is challenging, as experiments typically measure attention to tasks in group settings rather than individual, real-world behaviour. Clinical psychologist Dr Naomi Fisher cautions against labelling brains as “types.” Evidence shows that brains vary across the population and can change. (I’ve linked to her post and book in the show notes.)
There are also benefits to spontaneous thought. Historically, it’s been associated with creativity and idea generation. Psychologists at Princeton University suggest it supports memory consolidation through episodic memory replay (our recollection of past events), which may optimise memory and goal pursuit.
In a recent study, researchers explored whether episodic memory is prioritised during spontaneous thought. Participants engaged in “think-aloud” tasks, either speaking or typing their thoughts, and completed word-retrieval tasks to test the motivational theory of current concerns. They found that when current thoughts no longer provided episodic detail, the mind shifted to a new topic. This, they concluded, helps prepare us for goal-directed action.
What I’ve taken from the research is this: our minds naturally default to inner thought processes, and spontaneous thinking is no bad thing under normal circumstances. Mind wandering likely plays into procrastination, but it can also spark creativity. Staring at snails caused me to doubt myself briefly, but it also nudged me towards the idea that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for goal-setting.
My advice? Keep drifting. Not all distractions are bad; they may even help with the creative pursuit of your New Year’s resolutions. Spontaneity might just be the secret sauce. Build time for daydreaming into your planning.
I make no apologies for being industrious in the New Year. As a psychologist and coach, I find fresh starts and creative goals inspiring. If that isn’t you, I hope you enjoyed my erratic gardening tales. Perhaps you started to drift off when I mentioned brain networks. If so, I hope those spontaneous thoughts brought you joy and helped nip any negative rumination in the bud.
For those interested, I’ve cited several sources in today’s podcast and blog. You can access the written blog on Substack, complete with research article links. I prioritise free, open-access articles wherever possible. If you’re new to reading academic journals, start with the abstract, which summarises the research context, methodology, and outcomes.
That’s it for today, coming up I’ll be delving into accountability, why and how it works, plus a book review of Neurodivergent Coaching and potential in the coaching space. Don’t forget to rate, review and share the podcast, your feedback really helps independent podcasts get heard by a wider audience.
References
Article one
Recent advances in the neuroscience of spontaneous and off-task thought: implications for mental health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10653280/
Article two
20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627323003082
Article Three
Why do we think? The dynamics of spontaneous thought reveal its functions
https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/6/pgae230/7691350
Post by Naomi Fisher on Linkedin
Link to Naomi’s book
Share this post