“When we do nothing, a festival of creativity takes place in our brains!”
The 'default network', the brain engine of healing and creation,
A meticulous and dynamic study of relaxation to unleash its potential.

* The latest work by a finalist for the Royal Society Science Book Award
* Highly recommended by Anna Lemke (Dopamine Nation) and Johann Hari (Stolen Focus)

British neuroscientist and science writer Joseph Zebeli's book, The Brain That Can't Stop, begins with a fragment of a memory about his father.
A father who left his home country, settled in England, became the head of a family, and worked hard to the best of his ability.
After spending 20 years like that, my father suddenly collapsed overnight with the cry, “I don’t even know how to rest anymore!”
Having witnessed this phenomenon up close, Jebeli delved into the topic of rest from the perspective of a neuroscientist.


There are two engines in the human brain that perform different functions.
One is the executive network, which carries out tasks in a goal-oriented manner, and the other is the default network, which allows for free expression of creativity.
If the former is a network of work, the latter can be seen as a network of rest.
These two engines must operate in balance for our brains to function healthily and effectively.
However, the brains of modern people who consider working more and more passionately as a virtue cannot possibly function harmoniously.

Zebel noticed that the executive network, not the default network, is activated even during activities commonly referred to as "rest"—such as looking at a smartphone, chatting with people, or even sleeping.
And we started exploring the 'true pause' that activates the default network.
Not only did he analyze countless studies on work and rest, he also did not hesitate to subject himself to experiments.
I went to anyone who could tell me about it: doctors, biologists, geneticists, immunologists, sociologists, management consultants, loneliness experts—anyone who could talk to me about it.
His journey to discover the most effective way to shut down the brain will provide a breakthrough for those who plan and perform even play and rest as if it were work, restoring not only their damaged brains but also their lives.

For a long time, we have been taught that this kind of stagnation and inaction signifies indulgence, even irresponsibility, and is the antithesis of success.
But what if people often succeed not in spite of their attitude toward pause, but because of it? What if rest, rather than being an indulgence or unproductivity, is the key to people's success?
--- p.11~12

In short, the default network can be said to have the superpower to recharge and restore a tired brain.
--- p.12

Overwork also causes changes in the brain's anatomical structure and chemical composition.
The area that is hit hardest is the frontal lobe.
The frontal lobe is involved in decision-making, problem-solving, planning, and attention control, and overwork causes it to thin in the same way that aging does.
Even overwork ages the brain faster than age.
Just as trees gradually disappear from a forest, dendrites, which are branch-like structures, disappear from neurons.
--- p.46~47

If the default network is a network for rest and reflection, the executive network is a network specialized for work.
The executive network is active when we sit at our desks and focus, do household chores, or engage in simple tasks like organizing paperwork or sorting files.
Essentially, this network is activated at any moment when mental tension is required.
--- p.57

It is important to know when to activate our enforcement network and when to rest and recover it.
Even a short break from work can dramatically improve your ability to focus longer on a task.
The secret to sustainable productivity is not work, but rest.
--- p.80

‘Just thinking’ can feel boring, even like hard work.
This feeling is so deeply rooted in our psyche that psychologists have even given it a name: laziness aversion.
It is one of the sad realities of our time.
The problem is that people not only underestimate the value of "just thinking about anything," but also don't fully grasp how deeply satisfying it can be.
--- p.106

When you forest bathe or walk in nature, several areas of the default network are activated.
One of them is the medial prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe.
This area in the frontal lobe plays a key role in forming a person's narrative.
It is a center for introspection, a place where decision-making and self-directed thinking flourish.
--- p.125

When solitude is a choice rather than a necessity, our brains react very differently.
--- p.152

While we sleep, the synapses in our brain are selectively pruned.
Rather than randomly removing synapses, it is a delicate and meticulous process that preserves connections related to important memories and prunes less important connections.
This allows our brain to gently prune where needed, like a night gardener tending to the garden of our minds, helping truly meaningful connections take hold.
--- p.186

Even with endless meetings and work, we must make sure to make time for play.
It is these moments of creativity and laughter that come unexpectedly that nourish our souls.
In those moments, we feel truly alive and reconnect with parts of ourselves that had been lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
--- p.234

Simply starting a new physical activity, rather than a specialized exercise, can lead to meaningful changes in the brain's default network.
And these changes can last for years.
For example, learning to juggle for just one week can create additional gray matter in your default network, and these improvements can last for months.
--- p.243

The identity of this guilt I felt was ‘productivity guilt.’
This happens when we incorrectly link our self-worth and meaning to our work performance.
In many cultures, the idea that we must always be busy has led to equating stillness with laziness.
Breaking this mold is never easy.
Unfortunately, we find greater satisfaction when we view rest or leisure as a reward for a hard day's work.

--- p.279

A resting brain is a very powerful being.
When rest is at its deepest and most fulfilling, the brain generates dreams and ideas, unleashes creativity and problem-solving abilities, becomes a refuge from work and responsibilities, a sanctuary for healing and restoration, and unfolds a vast array of thoughts with infinite possibilities.
Above all, a rested brain is proven to increase long-term productivity and happiness.

--- p.293