Doing nothing: the benefits of boredom

With endless entertainment at your fingertips on your phone, how often do you really sit and do absolutely nothing? It turns out that even when you’re staring into the middle distance, your brain is firing away with activity. Norman and Tegan explore why giving your brain a break might be important for learning and creativity. References: The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health Default-mode brain dysfunction in mental disorders: A systematic review Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind - Science The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study People are increasingly bored in our digital age If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! What is the perfect nap duration? Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer? Why are people taping their mouths?

You can listen to Doing nothing: the benefits of boredom online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Doing nothing: the benefits of boredom is an episode from Coronacast by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

This episode is 0:22:00 long.

This episode was published on Feb 10, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Coronacast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.