What is a Wandering Mind?

If you have always felt a little different than others, you’re not alone. Maybe you, like us, struggle with concentration problems, hyperactivity, inner turmoil, unmanageable chaos, sensitivity and overstimulation. You might have been labeled with ADHD or you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Whatever it may be, your brain works differently than that of the neurotypical.

You think deep.

Sensitivity is your best friend and greatest enemy.

You love adventure and freedom.

You are always dreaming or creating. You are… a Wandering Mind.

Your dreamy mind: a problem or a gift?

Your Unique Mind wanders in all directions: during conversations, at school, at work and while driving. Or, when doing your taxes. This can be perceived as a problem, by yourself or by the outside world. It’s society that gives you the biggest struggle. School, work, institutions. Rules, regulations, bureaucracy. You guys were never really friends.

You may be easily distracted, often late and start on all kinds of projects that you never finish. Or maybe you feel like people don't understand or appreciate you, or you just can't seem to find fulfilment in your career.

The Wandering Mind brings us challenges, but there are also a lot of benefits. We just need to discover who we are, what we need and how we can work with our mind. In that way, we can be happy, balanced, healthy and free. Because over the years, we realized the world needs us Wandering Minds. We are creative, innovative, enthusiastic and sensitive. We see the bigger picture. We connect the dots. When we thrive, we bring a lot of value to the world.

We hope, you will find a big chunk of inspiration on our website, to live your life with a Wandering Mind in an awesome way.

Challenges of the Wandering Mind

Having a Mind that Wanders is amazing, but not always easy. We have to deal with many challenges, such as worrying, overstimulation, difficulty relaxing, concentration problems, restlessness and mood swings. Some Wandering Minds lack self-confidence and a sense of belonging. We may have always felt a little different and find it difficult to deeply connect to people (or even to ourselves). Some of us have, to be able to survive in this world, taught ourselves to be ‘normal, to ‘behave’. In this process, we lost ourselves, and our connection to our deepest truth. Our intuition. You may be the black sheep of the family (class, group of friends, or team) because you always do things a little differently.

Some Wandering Minds have been labeled with ADHD, ADD, or Autism. Or we identify with high sensitivity (HSP). This might make us feel like we have a problem.

Challenges of the Wandering Mind

Sometimes addiction, burnout or depression occurs.

But there is good news; the Wandering Mind is also our biggest strength.

Benefits of the Wandering Mind

Wandering Minds are true dreamers and free spirits. We are curious, adventurous and love to discover new things. Our brain does not follow a linear path, but likes to take sideways. We are enthusiastic, caring, lively and sensitive. Creative, versatile, intuitive and maybe a little rebellious. With our creative and open mind, we can think out-of-the-box and connect dots that others don’t see. Because we have broad interests, we are able to talk about almost everything. We may not be very good at details, but we do see the big picture and have vision. Sometimes we skip the details, and suddenly we are 5 steps ahead of someone else. Wandering Minds are usually true innovators.

When we stand in our power, we can move mountains with our energy. Our enthusiasm and positivity are infectious.

Superpowers of the Wandering Mind

Where does the name “Wandering Minds” come from?

The founder of Wandering Minds, the Dutch José Susanne Schrijver (’86), was given a label at the age of 28: ADD. After a year of ADHD treatment, she found that this path – approaching ADD as a ‘disorder' and treating it with medication – was not for her. She decided to find her own way and to look for alternatives to learn to deal with her ADD symptoms.

She shared her experiences on a blog, which was called something like ‘nice life with ADD’. But after two years this name no longer fit. This website is not only visited by people with the ADD label. Even adults (and parents) without a label come to us with questions about inner chaos, restlessness, concentration problems, mood swings, overstimulation, self-confidence, sleeping problems and all kinds of other symptoms of the ‘Unique Brain'.

In recent years we have published several guest articles by the most inspiring people. Creative entrepreneurs, highly sensitive tiny house residents and coaches…We’ve seen it all!

Slowly it became clear: a new name was needed. Wandering Minds was born.

Label or no label (like ADD), we welcome you with love

A label like ADHD can be very useful, especially when you'd like to understand yourself better, talk to like-minded people and receive appropriate treatment. But whether you have a label or not, you are welcome to join our community if you feel connected to the concept of the Wandering Mind. We hope that you will find inspiration and tips here, but also connection (with yourself and with others).

The possibilities of the Wandering Mind are endless!

We encourage Wandering Minds to look not only at the challenges of the Unique Brain, but also at the possibilities. How can you learn to find balance with your Unique Mind? In what way can you organize your life, so that you can step into your power? How do you get in touch with yourself more? In what ways can you live according to your own values? We hope to inspire you to get started with these questions.

If you dare to dream big, you will live an amazing, colorful and adventurous life.

Changing your perspective

Maybe there's still that little voice in your head that says there's something wrong with you. But is this true? Or can you change your perspective?

We realize more and more, that Wandering Minds are so needed in this world. We are creative and provokers of (positive) change. Just think about the famous people with a Unique Brain, like Richard Brandson, Albert Einstein, John F Kennedy, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Phelps. They all have, in their own way, changed the world.

Wandering Minds not only offer innovation, but also color, warmth, creativity and enthusiasm to the world.

Enjoy your Wandering Mind

The more we are able to find balance with our unique brain, and step into our power, the more fun life becomes!

Allow yourself the time and freedom to wander, enjoy, play, dance, sing, write, create. Our lives became a lot more fun when we realized that we can organize our lives differently. When this feels right to us, we can live differently, work differently, live differently, make different choices.