10 Tips for Conquering Daydreams

Crushes are hard. Crushes are hard to beat. One of the hardest things about having a crush is that you can keep it alive for however long you want (even after it should be long dead), just by daydreaming. You can daydream up a perfect version of your crush. You can daydream up your perfect future family. You can daydream up his feelings for you, and how romantic he’ll be, etc, etc, etc.

Daydreams are POWERFUL.

You may say that daydreams are harmless, but often they can be sinful. God tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Daydreams can sometimes be sinful fantasies that need to be brought under the lordship of Jesus. And they can perpetuate problems such as a crush that needs to die.

So what are some practical ways to beat daydreams?

1. Don’t get discouraged. Just because the past several days weren't good doesn't mean today won't. Don't get bogged down with past failures. God has already gotten rid of those. Just keep running the race.

2. Get control of your emotions. Another thing is to step back and give yourself and your emotions a good mental SHAKE and demand that it come under your control. I know it sounds weird, but it's Biblical! Really! In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about how he "beats his body and makes it his slave." You've got to do that. As a friend of mine put it once, "Sometimes you just gotta take life by the shoulder straps and give a good yell!"

3. Don't read into things he says. I’m a girl, and this is a struggle for me, just like it is for many, many girls. Remember, he’s not proposing to you if he holds open the door for you. Just calm down and take him at face value. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

4. Start (or keep) memorizing verses!! 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a favorite for me right now, as well as 2 Corinthians 10:5. Some others are Psalm 73:28, Isaiah 26:3, and if you feel up to the challenge, Psalm 119. But don’t just memorize them, you have to meditate on them. I love taking walks with my note cards and praying the verses back to God and really pondering what they mean, and what I should do in response to them. If you want to run from certain thoughts in your head, you need to chase after something else--you need to fill your mind with good things.

5. Find out when you're most vulnerable to daydreams. I have a really hard vulnerability time: right after I've turned the lights off and I'm waiting to fall asleep. It's hard because I can't run from the situation—I have to stay and fight. But, if you're vulnerable whenever you're bored, then DON'T LET YOURSELF GET BORED. Go play with your siblings, or your dog, or something. Get ahead on homework. Or do something nice for your mom or dad. Clean your room. Write a devotional or blog post. ;) Write cards! Work on hobbies! The list is limitless. Basically, find when you're most vulnerable and find ways to fight it.

6. Read your Bible ALL THE TIME. Seriously. And I highly encourage you to read at least a little in the Gospels every day. Also, Psalm 119 is amazing. It’s refreshing, and it brings you back to how you should view God’s Word.

7. Start a prayer journal. Have a section for you and a section for others. In the section for you, don't just write prayers, but also song lyrics and verses. Have a page for everyone in the youth group, as well as your family members, etc. Whenever you're tempted, grab that notebook and start scribbling down prayers for your friends! Praying for my friends is a huge thing that helps me.

8. Get accountability. If you’re having a hard day, don’t be afraid to let someone know. If you have a hard time of day that you’re always tempted, then ask a friend to text you during those times to get your mind off of it.

9. Pray and fight. My mom said once, "I know this is cliche, but there's a lot of truth in it: Pray like it's all God and work like it's all you." Pray hard, and pray like prayer is the only thing that's going get you out of this! But then actually do something. Fight like it's all up to you. However, you can rest that it isn't all up to you. But fight like it is.

Do you struggle with daydreams? What should the 10th tip be? Any thoughts, prayer requests, or stories? Share in the comments!