How long does it take you to realize you're daydreaming?

[Lois]

Whether it's reading non-fictional books or fiction or whatever I'm doing, it's not until after 3-5 min has passed that I notice that I'm daydreaming and that I have been pacing around the room and whispering my responses to the imaginary person I'm speaking to. I then have to recentre myself and focus on the task at hand only to do the same thing all over again. 

I haven't listed all of my triggers yet but it's quite a lengthy collection. For everyone else, how do you catch yourself at the onset of a daydream? 

[Valeria Franco]

I had always been conscious about daydreaming, I guess.

Sometimes I had a feeling that I was so thirsty of it that when I could start doing it, it was a sort of relief.

Other times it started more quietly, but I was aware that I was drifting away. And it was sweet, too sweet to resist.

[Melody Dixon]

It's the same way for me. I know I'm doing it, the problem is just that I don't have the will to stop.

Valeria Franco said:

I had always been conscious about daydreaming, I guess.

Sometimes I had a feeling that I was so thirsty of it that when I could start doing it, it was a sort of relief.

Other times it started more quietly, but I was aware that I was drifting away. And it was sweet, too sweet to resist.

[Pause, Replay]

Recentre and focus, only to do the same thing again...you just described my life!

[titta rúnya]

I always (in my head) called it "the itch". I think usually I DD when I've just, in that moment, decided that I can afford to. I don't often have  that"realization" moment you describe. Maybe because when I'm DDing, I'm still sort of connected to the world. (Surprise surprise, one of my main characters' superpowers is being in two places at once--but he can't always control it.)  I definitely get the "wow midnight already?!" kind of moment all the time though.

[Mary]

Today's record is 20 mins till I realised I was daydreaming ;-;