Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 2 hrs ago
Neurologist says quiet breaks can help the brain process experiences
Neurologist Neha Pandita says the brain needs downtime from constant stimulation.
Pandita, a senior consultant at Fortis Hospital in Noida, says quiet periods can engage the brain’s default mode network, linked to memory, self-reflection and thinking about the future.
Switching between apps and tasks repeatedly shifts attention and can leave little room to process thoughts.
Boredom is different from mental fatigue: boredom comes from too little engagement, while fatigue follows prolonged concentration, multitasking or interruptions.
Pandita suggests waiting before checking a phone, taking breaks away from screens, walking without headphones and giving meals or conversations full attention.
She says a device ban is not necessary; the aim is to make space for the brain to absorb and organise experiences.
Neurologist Dr Neha Pandita says quiet breaks can help the brain process experiences and make connections.
She says the brain can engage the default mode network when it is not focused on an external task.
Constantly switching between emails, messaging apps and social media can leave little room for reflection.
Pandita distinguishes boredom from mental fatigue and says they are not the same.
She suggests simple habits such as taking screen-free breaks, walking without headphones and avoiding phone use before bed.
- Who
- Dr Neha Pandita, a senior consultant neurologist and unit head at Fortis Hospital, Noida.
- What
- She says periods of quiet and inward attention can help the brain process experiences and make connections.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Fortis Hospital, Noida, is where Pandita works; the article does not specify where she made the comments.
- Why
- Constant stimulation and switching between activities can leave little opportunity to reflect or process thoughts.
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- Neurologist
- Dr Neha Pandita
- Hospital
- Fortis Hospital, Noida
- Brain network
- Default mode network
- Suggested habit
- Walk without headphones
- Publication date
- 2026-11-07 13:43 UTC
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What people are saying
The issue is not that technology is inherently harmful. It is that we rarely give ourselves a chance to step away from it
The brain does not switch off when we stop concentrating on an external task. It can engage a network called the default mode network, which is associated with memory, self-reflection and thinking about the future. Such periods of inward attention allow the brain to process experiences and make connections
Boredom occurs when we are not sufficiently engaged or find an activity unstimulating. Mental fatigue, on the other hand, is the feeling of being cognitively drained after prolonged concentration, multitasking or repeated interruptions