“There is nothing wrong with doing nothing for a while at work.” Stress expert Elke Van Hoof advocates for more breathing space to allow our brains to recover.
After a busy day, you want nothing more than to flop onto your couch and start scrolling. But that is exactly the worst thing you can do. In this episode, stress expert Elke Van Hoof explains why we have completely lost the art of ‘doing nothing.’ We used to have natural breaks, such as waiting rooms without Wi-Fi, calling from a phone booth, or chatting at the checkout. Nowadays, we fill every moment with stimuli. When you truly do nothing, your default mode network activates: a system that sorts information and makes connections. It is in this state that real breakthroughs occur. However, chronic overstimulation causes a flattened feeling or endless worrying. According to Elke, the solution is simpler than you think, but not easy in a world full of distractions.
