Mind wandering is bad for you. What to do instead...

It makes you unproductive, unhappy, and impulsive.

From the abstract of a notable 2010 study on exactly this:

We developed a smartphone technology to sample people’s ongoing thoughts, feelings, and actions and found (i) that people are thinking about what is not happening almost as often as they are thinking about what is and (ii) found that doing so typically makes them unhappy.

I agree with this, I try to avoid mind wandering most of the time. As an Entrepreneur (trying my damnest to claw my way out of the middle class!), digital nomad, and now an expat and family man, I've never known life without constant struggle and challenge. Personally, whenever I let my mind wander it gravitates to something that worries me. Unless you just have a boringly comfortable life, your mind wandering is going to inevitably lead to unproductive worrying. Meditation certainly helps with this but Dual N-Back training is the best tool I've ever found for mastering one's mind.

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To quote neuroscientist turned professional mainstream media parrot/neoliberal regime propagandist/rush-job COVID vaccine pusher/Western civilization demoralizer, Sam Harris - once wrote a pretty good book about mindfulness and spirituality, actually (even a broken clock is right twice a day)...

“a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind.” (p. 119)

Yet we spend so much time doing it! Instead of free-flowing random thinking, I'll suggest that when you find your mind wandering instead mentally play out your reactions to different specific scenarios. Let's say you have a first date coming up, instead of reflecting on your past relationships and how past partners made you feel, imagine how you'll specifically react to different things happening on the date. What would you do if...

Your date is late showing up
The waiter spills a drink on you
They ask you about your past relationships
You run into a previous lover while out on the date
Your date touches your leg under the table
Your date tries to kiss you
Your date shows up with a random friend
Your date asks if you want to smoke a cigarette
The restaurant is closed
Your date doesn't want to drink alcohol
Your date shows up drunk

Devoting your attention to imagining yourself in various scenarios is more empowering, often fun, and productive. I do this at night before sleep instead of letting my thoughts run free and worrying, which causes insomnia.

When do I let my mind wander?

When I go to the bathroom, I seldom bring my smartphone with me. I allow myself to have a meditative moment there while I'm doing my business; consistently this results in productive mind wandering. Great ideas come to mind, solutions to the challenges de jour arise, and I remember things I need to do that day. But after a few moments of mind wandering, I refocus on whatever I'm working on.