When you zone out, it’s usually because your brain has gone into autopilot mode.

It’s not uncommon to space things out. Perhaps you’ve had it happen to you and questioned what it meant. You might be seeing a family member or friend zoning out. While it may represent a medical emergency or a warning sign of a serious health concern in rare situations, this is not the case in the majority of cases.

If you’ve been notified that you are daydreaming, here are some key clues to help you find out what it all truly means.

What Is the Root of the Issue?

As previously said, zoning out simply means your brain has turned to autopilot mode. This can happen when your brain realizes that you can do your existing task without focusing on it if it’s arranging clothes or commuting to work. As a result, you revert to the default state.

Even if the work requires your whole attention, the following circumstances can cause an increased risk of zoning out.

Lack of Sleep

Do you remember the last time you didn’t get enough sleep? You may have been hazy, constantly distracted, or otherwise “off” throughout the day.

Poor sleep may not result in a substantial issue, but it can have a significant impact on mental productivity and make you increasingly vulnerable to spacing out. When driving or dealing with any sort of machines, this is very risky.

Overwhelming Information

When you’ve had to deal with a lot of fresh, crucial data all at once, such as when commencing a new job, you may have felt a little baffled and uncertain about where to begin. When you attempted to focus on processing the information, your mind might have instantly wandered.

This is when zoning out can benefit. Although you may feel disoriented, your brain is still working in the background.

During activities, such as a precise dancing routine, a comparable process may take place. Your feet are aware of the steps, but if you concentrate too intently on what you’re doing, you might make an error. As a result, your brain goes into autopilot mode, and before you realize it, you’ve finished the exercise flawlessly.

Stress and Tension

Information overload isn’t the only thing that might make you feel out of sorts; ordinary life overload does as well.

You may feel as if you’re going with the flow of daily life without genuinely thinking about it. You reemerge from the fog, unsure of how much time has gone or how you got through it.

This is a common coping strategy for keeping anxiety and overwhelm at bay until you’re ready to face them. If you’ve experienced trauma, your inclination to zone out could be a sign of more serious dissociation.

How to Regain Control

Keep Your Feet on the Ground

When you’re trying to stop zoning out, grounding practices can be beneficial. Simply said, grounding involves taking steps to keep yourself anchored in the present moment.

You can do so by:

Keep Track of Your Times When You’re Most Likely to Zone Out

Once you realize you’ve lost track of time, it’s a good idea to scribble a brief reminder. You can ask people you trust to help you if you do not often know when it occurs.

Keeping track of these experiences can reveal any tendencies of mind wandering and help you keep track of your thoughts before you fall asleep. You can take action to change these tendencies once you become more mindful of them.

Mindfulness Is a Good Thing to Cultivate

Mindfulness techniques can help you become more aware of what is going on in the current moment. If you find yourself zoning out while performing chores that don’t take a lot of mental focus, this can be beneficial. Concentrate on what you’re doing instead of letting your thoughts stray.

Imagine the scent of the dish detergent, the texture of the sponge, the water temperature, and the gratification you feel when you make a really dirty pot shining clean whenever you’re washing the dishes.

Exercises to improve breathing can also be beneficial. Keeping your mind focused on each breath you inhale and exhale can make it easier to concentrate.

When Should You Consider Medical Help?

Recurring Episodes

If you’re always zoning out or have been suspected of spacing out, you need to figure out if there are too many activities occupying you or if you simply can’t stop yourself. If there isn’t a clear reason, such as a complex project you’re working on, you should tell your medical professional about the problem.

Failure of Bladder or Bowel Problems

If you’ve discovered that you’ve lost all control of your bowels or bladder, you should seek medical help immediately.

Injury

If you’ve detected any injury after spacing out, especially if you don’t remember how it happened, your episodes are potentially dangerous for you. It’s past time to try everything we can to put a stop to them.

Because dissociation can be dangerous, it’s always a good idea to consult a therapist if you find yourself zoning out frequently or suspect you’re having dissociative episodes.

The following are some indicators of dissociation:

Therapists provide open-minded advice and guidance while you examine the cause of your zoning out and build effective coping strategies.

Absence seizures are a form of mild seizure in which kids tend to zone out. It’s a great way to take your child to the pediatrician if they look to be daydreaming but don’t engage when you try to catch their attention.

Conclusion

You shouldn’t be alarmed if you get into the zone during a good little run and then realize you’ve lost track of time during the last couple of minutes.

However, if you find yourself zoning out practically all of the time and can’t seem to regain control, it’s time to contact a therapist. Therapy can be beneficial when zoning out or dissociation is interfering with your everyday life.