Do you remember when you were a kid, sitting in school and just daydreaming away?  Probably looking out the window at the playground with your imagination running wild. You were off on some adventure riding a horse through a grassy field, or maybe dreaming about the day when you'd get your first kiss...

And then - the teacher calls on you.  The adrenaline floods into your body, your heartbeat races and you realize that you have no idea what's going on around you.  You've got that "deer in the headlights" look as you apologize to the teacher and listen to her lecture you about what a loser you are with your head in the clouds.  You'd better start paying attention or you'll amount to nothing in this world. 

The message most of us got as kids (and we're passing the message along to our kids...) is that daydreaming is bad, wrong, a waste of time, and if we do it we won't be successful.  So we pretty much stopped doing it. At least we tried.

Daydreaming is a normal process, humans can only focus for a certain amount of time, then the brain automatically shifts into the daydream mode.  When we try to shut down our ability to daydream, we lose the ability to visualize which has a distinct impact on our creativity. Daydreaming is a normal part of being human, it's an enhanced state of creativity where we are able to tap into the more complex regions of our brains.  Absolute brilliance has come out of daydreams, in fact, Thomas Edison found the answer to many problems in his daydreams.  Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe wrote stories based on their daydreams.  The chemist Friedrich Kekule daydreamed of two serpents biting each other's tail, and forming a ring.  He jolted awake, and saw the answer to how a benzene molecule is structured.  It's a ring!

Some high-tech companies actually give their employees time during the day to daydream, and have seen a boost in the creativity and innovation.

Maybe daydreaming is not appropriate in the classroom during lecture, but to classify the act as wrong and unfruitful, and to make people feel bad or guilty for daydreaming is simply an indication of how little we really know and maybe of the "boxed in" thinking in our public school system and even in our workforce.

So, do yourself a favor, take a little catnap and let your do what it will.

There are tons of expectations placed on us these days. Work, family, community - not just our own commitments, but our kids' concerts, games, practices, parties and more. With employers demanding more and more of our time and effort and the stress and demands of our everyday lives, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed.

Overwhelm can stop you in your tracks. When it hits, it's like a hurricane swirling around you - you're sitting in the eye of it watching, frozen, while the chaos gets bigger and bigger. The stress of being overwhelmed can cause a whole host of issues from a depressed immune system to actual depression. Procrastination, withdrawal and avoidance are some of the biggest signs that you are experiencing overwhelm.

So, what to do?

First off, breathe. I know, you've heard that before. But generally, when we get stressed, we stop breathing - or we take short breaths in our upper chest. This doesn't help. Take some real breaths - imagine breathing all the way down to your toes, breathing in peace, and breathing out stress. Not only does this force you to focus, it brings needed oxygen to your muscles and brain so that you can focus and take action.

Now, get out pencil and paper and make a list. Part of the reason you are so stressed is that you are trying to remember everything you have to do. Get it on a list, and categorize if you like.

Next - take a look at the big picture. Do you really have to do it all? Right now? If you could only choose one thing from your list, what would it be? What can wait till tomorrow? Or next week? You may find that some things aren't necessary and will fall off your list as time goes by. Prioritize by writing numbers 1-5 next to each item, then do them in that order.

OK. Who can you get to help you? Learn to delegate. Have the kids do the smaller, less important things. Get a friend or co-worker to help with projects - offer to reciprocate. It can be fun to work on things together and as they say - two brains are better than one.

Take care of yourself. Eat right and exercise. Pizza and french fries are simply not going to give you the energy you need to be focused and productive. I know, I know...but remember - you have to deal with the consequences. Even a short, brisk walk will get your energy up and increase your focus so you can make headway on your list.

Music. Volumes have been written about the ability music has to change our mental and even physical states - like overwhelm. Listening to upbeat music when doing physical or repetitive labor, and softer styles like classical when you need focus will help keep your mood even and productivity high.

By this time, the hurricane should be passing - you step out of the midst of it with much more clarity, able to brave all the new assignments, commitments and opportunities that arise!