Get busy doing nothing

If your boss discovers you nodding off at work, don't worry — just tell them that you're doing them a favour because napping is, in fact, the secret to greater productivity.

- 

This may sound counterintuitive, yet according to cutting-edge neuroscience, naps, hourly breaks and plenty of time to daydream are a few of the best things you can do for your brain.

"We've got the whole dichotomy of work and rest totally wrong," says neuroscientist Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of the new book The Brain At Rest. "Rest isn't a luxury. It isn’t downtime. We need to get out of this mentality of thinking that rest and work are at odds with each other. Rest will help you with long-term productivity."

In 2001, the neurologist Marcus Raichle discovered the brain's "default network", regions spanning 20% of the brain that show lower levels of activity when we're engaged in a task and higher levels when we're awake but daydreaming, recalling memories or just thinking.

Dr Jebelli says: "Taking a moment to pause and removing yourself from a cognitively demanding task is a necessity. When you pause, your brain activates the default network, which improves a host of cognitive skills such as memory, problem-solving abilities, creativity, intelligence, emotional processing and so much more.

"It also reduces your chances of developing depression or dementia in the future."

BURNOUT

Most of us let our minds wander without even realising that we're doing it, or the benefits it brings.

"We spend 25-50% of the day mind wandering," he says. "When people are at their desk, they feel guilty about it. But that’s your brain telling you it needs to activate the default network, it's got a lot to process. You're not allowing it to be creative because it's locked in with the executive network on a monotonous task."

Jebelli was inspired to explore the neuroscience of rest by his own father, a workaholic who experienced burnout, which then led to a depressive disorder.