Each day brings plenty of windows for reflection — during your commute ... at the dentist ... waiting for that friend who's always late.

• But we rarely seize them. Instead, we're all too quick to pull out our phones and scroll for a few minutes, rather than spending time with our thoughts.

Why it matters: Constantly filling our minds with content is crowding out time to daydream. And daydreaming has surprising perks, The Washington Post's Maggie Penman writes (gift link).

📱 By the numbers: People think they check their phones about 10 times a day, according to survey data. In reality, we pick up our devices 50 to 100 times a day.

• One explanation: In one study researchers found that people preferred an electric shock to being with their thoughts, Penman notes.

But research also tells us there are clear benefits to embracing this discomfort.

• A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that people routinely underestimated how much they like to think. They predicted they'd hate sitting alone in a room for 20 minutes. But they tended to enjoy it.
• Another researcher found that many of us do some of our most creative thinking in the shower — a rare screen-free time.

💡 The bottom line: If you've been stumped by a problem at work, school or home, scrolling could be keeping you from the solution. Try daydreaming instead!

The waning moon rises behind the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol last night.