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Tony Crabbe, author of “Busy: How to Thrive In A World of Too Much” and frequent contributor to the Oprah Winfrey Network, reminds us why downtime is so important.  Yet, some find having downtime difficult because, as he says, we’re the first generation of people who are always switched on.

Science shows that our brains need to periodically dial down intensity in order to recover and function optimally.  When the brain’s at rest, it’s uses that time to make meaning of experiences. Without that integration time, we end up parroting other people’s opinions rather than allowing space to develop our own insights.

Crabbe says the opposite of busyness isn’t necessarily relaxation on a beach.  Instead, it’s giving our sustained focused attention to the people, problems or conversations that matter most to us.

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