Psychologist: scrolling feeds isn't rest but strain — the brain needs true idleness

Clinical psychologist Yulia Denisova-Melnikova said the human nervous system is not built for constant operation at peak efficiency. The brain needs periods when nothing is demanded of it to recover, while the scrolling of news feeds and short videos many are used to does not qualify as rest — it only adds to the strain.

According to the specialist, modern people have unlearned how to truly do nothing. The moment a free minute appears, the hand automatically reaches for the smartphone, and many can no longer recall the last time they simply sat without any activity. This habit of filling every pause with a phone has become so entrenched that it is no longer perceived as a problem.

While browsing feeds or watching short clips, the brain keeps processing large amounts of new information, the psychologist explained. The nervous system does not switch into recovery mode and maintains its previous pace. As a result, instead of relief, a person only accumulates fatigue.

True rest, as Denisova-Melnikova emphasizes, looks far more modest than one might expect. She advises periodically allowing yourself to simply lie down and stare at the ceiling, out the window, or at a wall, move around the house aimlessly, or take a walk without a route, doing something optional — without a goal, a deadline, or practical use. The key condition is to demand nothing of yourself and give the body a chance to restore its mental state.