The Brain At Rest (why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life)

By (author) Jebelli Joseph
Description:

How doing nothing can change your life:

· Napping and gentle exercise can enhance brain size
· Spending time in nature can boost creativity
· Silence fosters the growth of new brain cells

We are constantly told to make the most of every precious moment - but when we let our brains rest and our minds wander, something magical happens...

In The Brain at Rest, Dr Joseph Jebelli shares the transformative neuroscience that shows why doing nothing will change your life for the better. Drawing on ground-breaking new research, you will learn how to achieve a happier, healthier and more balanced life.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE MONTH
''A tonic for the frazzled mind'' David Robson, author of The Expectation Effect

''The Brain at Rest is inspiring and practical'' Johanna Thomas-Corr, Sunday Times

''Stop what you’re doing and read this book'' Anna Lembke, bestselling author of Dopamine Nation

''This excellent book is precisely what we need to stop, reset, and rest'' Johann Hari, bestselling author of Stolen Focus

''This book is magic'' Chris Bailey, bestselling author of Hyperfocus and The Productivity Project

''Offers practical, science-backed solutions for reclaiming your life'' Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractible

''The most important part of your brain you''ve never heard of'' Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, PhD, author of Work Less, Do More and Rest

‘A powerful, heartfelt manifesto for rest’ Dr Hannah Critchlow, author of Joined-Up Thinking


* Waterstones Non-fiction Book of the Month, January 2026, #3 Sunday Times bestseller, paperback non-fiction, January 2026.

Review quote:
‘Jebelli’s spotlighting of the cognitive benefits is supremely helpful… The Brain at Rest is inspiring and practical and, I hope, signals a wider change in how we think about work.’
Review quote:
The Brain at Rest is a tonic for the frazzled mind. Joseph Jebelli makes a powerful argument for the importance of the brain’s downtime in living a happy, healthy and meaningful life. By doing less, we can achieve so much more – and this inspiring book shows us how.
Review quote:
This book is a much-needed pause button, offering practical, science-backed solutions for reclaiming your life from distraction and overwhelm – showing you that productivity and health can coexist in harmony.
Review quote:
In a stressed-out society where we think we should be constantly on the go, this excellent book is precisely what we need to stop, reset, and rest. I learned so much from it.
Review quote:
Addicted to work? Stop what you’re doing and read this book. By combining cutting edge science with compelling personal anecdotes, Jebelli weaves a fascinating tale of the virtues of the resting brain. He also reminds us that scrolling on our smartphones may feel like a break but is not in fact a break for our brains. Just one more reason to get off our phones, go outside, and let ourselves wander.
Review quote:
Joseph Jebelli’s The Brain at Rest introduces you to the most important part of your brain you''ve never heard of: the default network, a unique – and uniquely powerful – set of links between regions of the brain that switch on when we think about the past, imagine the future, and are faced with creative challenges. Unfortunately, modern life seems determined to push the default network to one side, but The Brain at Rest explains why things as simple a