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Daydreaming Makes You Depressed Later

Daydreaming Makes You Depressed Later

Léa Sen – lvl1 HOME ALONE (2025)

You know the feeling: you're at work, nothing's moving forward, and your mind starts drifting—maybe to your next vacation, a raise or your future gym-body.

But did you know that indulging in positive daydreams might have hidden downsides? While they can lift your mood briefly, research shows they may reduce motivation and effort, leading to fewer achievements and—ironically—more self-doubt.

Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen and her team conducted several studies and found a consistent pattern: the more positively people fantasized about the future, the more depressive symptoms they showed months later. One key reason? These fantasies replaced action, leading to setbacks, especially in areas like academics, which then fed into low mood.

Today’s artist, Léa Sen, calls herself a lifelong daydreamer, and her song “lvl1 - HOME ALONE” feels like a quiet ode to that head-in-the-clouds state, carried by hazy guitars and a woozy, drifting bassline. But be careful!

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