When I was younger, I was constantly daydreaming. These whimsical moments of a wondering mind were seen as wasteful—especially in eleventh grade history class. But wouldn’t it be something if we could recapture that ability to escape into a mental space of positivity and relaxation as an adult? I wonder if I’d been encouraged, “yes, Rachel just travel for a while inside your head and see where you go,” I wouldn’t have lost that ability over time. Either way I still would have done horrible in history class.

Today (aside from loving the History Channel) when my mind is wondering, it tends to finish scenarios in my life that could go badly. The stories I tell myself now are most often full of worry and overthinking. Conversely in high school, I was constructing my perfect life with the hot guy in my gym class. Daydreaming at that age was building hopeful stories, no matter how far-fetched.

In sobriety, I get to craft an entirely new existence on top of the old one, without shutting the door on the past. This process involves unlearning negative talk and ‘what if’ing.’ By creating new healthy habits like texting three ‘gratefuls’ every day to a close friend, I started to mute the noise in my mind—the voice that’s always telling me what’s wrong with me. With that out to the way, I noticed the good in the small, everyday moments. Sometimes it’s that simple to learn how to daydream again, imagine the untold stories of what could be. This is just one way that I relax without alcohol.

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The Lost Art of Daydreaming: Relaxing Without Alcohol