<p>With endless entertainment at your fingertips on your phone, how often do you really sit and do absolutely nothing?</p><p>It turns out that even when you’re staring into the middle distance, your brain is firing away with activity.</p><p>Norman and Tegan explore why giving your brain a break might be important for learning and creativity.</p><p>References:</p><ul><li><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12025022/" target="_blank">The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763408001504?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Default-mode brain dysfunction in mental disorders: A systematic review</a>  </li><li><a href="https://www.pismin.com/10.1126/science.1250830" target="_blank">Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind - Science</a> </li><li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jocb.45?utm_medium=article&amp;utm_source=researchgate.net" target="_blank">The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study</a>  </li><li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jocb.45?utm_medium=article&amp;utm_source=researchgate.net" target="_blank">The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study</a>  </li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00155-9">People are increasingly bored in our digital age</a></li></ul><p>If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/whats-that-rash/what-is-the-perfect-nap-duration/103163300">What is the perfect nap duration?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/whats-that-rash/tattoo-ink-cancer-risk/105223550">Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/whats-that-rash/mouth-taping-sleep-breathing/104894106">Why are people taping their mouths?</a></li></ul>