The Brain at Rest: Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life

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.

Dr Joseph Jebelli received a PhD in neuroscience from University College London, then worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Washington. He has written two books, How the Mind Changed and In Pursuit of Memory, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize and longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. He lives in London.