Have We Forgotten How to Rest? Dr Rangan Chatterjee on Why We Never Truly Switch Off

When was the last time you truly switched off?

Not just taking time out, but feeling that your mind and body had genuinely recovered from the day.

For many of us, those moments have become increasingly rare. Work follows us home through emails and messaging apps, while notifications compete for our attention throughout the day. Even when we're technically "resting", our minds are often occupied by an endless to-do list.

BON CHARGE's Scientific Advisory Board Member, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee believes many of us have forgotten what genuine rest feels like.

"It's become normal for people to feel constantly frazzled," he says.

Many of us have become so used to feeling switched on that we barely notice it anymore.

When stress becomes the baseline

Stress isn't something we should try to eliminate completely. In the right situations, it's an essential survival response that helps us react quickly when we perceive danger.

The challenge, Dr. Chatterjee explains, is when that response becomes our default state.

"When your stress response is activated, it’s for one main reason: it feels as though there is danger," he says.

Most of us aren't facing life-threatening situations every day, but the nervous system can’t always tell the difference between physical threats and the steady accumulation of everyday pressures.

A constant stream of emails, an overflowing to-do list, difficult conversations or the expectation that we're always available can all contribute to the body remaining on high alert.

"If your nervous system is on alert all the time, your body, brain and mind never feel safe,” Dr. Chatterjee adds.

Feeling safe is also a biological state. A nervous system that constantly anticipates the next demand has fewer chances to return to baseline.

When it has time to settle, we're better equipped to think clearly, regulate our emotions and recover from the demands of everyday life.

When those moments become scarce, feeling overwhelmed can gradually become our normal.

Read More: Dr Rangan Chatterjee Explains How Light Can Help You Sleep Better

Why stopping isn't always the same as resting

One of the most compelling ideas Dr. Chatterjee shares is that not all rest is created equal. "You can think of rest in two gears," he explains. "Gear one is everyday rest - the moments where you pause and gear two is deep rest.”

First-gear rest is familiar to most of us. It might be taking a walk at lunchtime, sitting down with a coffee, watching TV after work or “doomsrolling” on social media.

As Dr. Chatterjee puts it, "You're relaxing. It's gear one of rest." In other words, you're taking a break, but your nervous system may not have the opportunity to fully settle and recover.

Research on recovery from work supports this idea. Studies suggest that true recovery is not just about stopping what we are doing, but also about mentally disconnecting from work, conversations and responsibilities.¹

(Photo of Dr. Rangan Chatterjee) 

When the mind continues to rehearse these demands, the body may not get the same opportunity to fully settle.¹

Deep rest, on the other hand, looks very different. "Gear two, that deep sense of relaxation where your whole nervous system gets back to baseline and resets, is something that many people don't really experience unless they go on holiday," he says.

Dr Chatterjee believes many of the opportunities for deep rest that used to exist in everyday life have quietly disappeared.

"Years ago, Sunday was different," he says. "The shops were shut so you couldn't really do much. It was a natural day of rest."

Today, many of those natural pauses have disappeared. "There’s no chance to experience deep rest at weekends anymore like we used to," he explains. "And so your whole baseline starts to change."

Over time, he believes that shift can affect more than just how rested we feel. "It affects your mood, it affects your resilience, your ability to focus, your ability to concentrate, it affects your relationships, how triggered you feel, how negative you feel about the state of the world."

Recovery influences more than how rested we feel. Giving the nervous system opportunities to return to baseline may also influence how we think, respond to challenges and experience everyday life.

How modern life keeps us switched on

Part of the challenge is that many of the natural boundaries that once separated work from home have largely disappeared. 

Today's world looks very different. Our phones allow work, news and social media to reach us wherever we are. Holidays no longer guarantee time away from emails. Even evenings that appear quiet can involve responding to messages, checking notifications or thinking about tomorrow's tasks.

Research suggests that feeling the need to remain reachable - even through small interruptions like checking an email or replying to a message - can make it harder to mentally switch off once the workday is over.²

Technology has brought undeniable benefits, but it has also made it easier for work, news and everyday demands to follow us wherever we are.

Rather than experiencing periods of recovery throughout the week, many of us move from one demand to the next without noticing how little uninterrupted downtime we actually have.

When we're constantly available, our nervous system has fewer chances to recognise that it's safe to relax.

Read More: The Science of Doing Nothing: How To Be More Bored Again

Why digital conversations can feel draining

Modern communication has also changed the way we connect with one another. Much of our daily interaction now happens through emails, texts and messaging apps. While these tools make communication easier, they also remove many of the cues our brains naturally rely on.

"Human beings evolved to communicate in three dimensions," Dr. Chatterjee explains.

When we're speaking face to face, we interpret facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and subtle emotional signals alongside the words themselves. A short message on a screen offers none of that context.

Without facial expressions, body language or tone of voice, even well-intentioned messages can be misunderstood. These interactions may seem small, but over time they can contribute to a background level of tension that many of us barely notice.

Creating space for true recovery

If modern life makes it harder to switch off, does that mean genuine rest is no longer possible? Dr. Chatterjee doesn't think so.

Throughout his work, one message comes up repeatedly: meaningful change doesn't have to begin with dramatic lifestyle overhauls. Instead, it begins by creating moments that allow the nervous system to recover.

That might mean protecting time where work isn't allowed to intrude, leaving your phone behind during a walk, spending time outdoors without feeling the need to document it, or simply giving yourself permission to be unavailable for a while.

Research also suggests that spending time in natural environments can support stress recovery. Even short periods outdoors may help reduce rumination - the repetitive, looping thoughts that often keep the mind switched on - and create a greater sense of mental space.³

These moments may seem small, but they send an important signal to the body that the immediate demands have passed.

"We have to intentionally create moments where our body realises it's safe," says Dr. Chatterjee.

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References

1. Wendsche, J. & Lohmann-Haislah, A. A meta-analysis on antecedents and outcomes of detachment from work. Front. Psychol. 7, 2072 (2017).

2. Santuzzi, A. M. & Barber, L. K. Workplace telepressure and worker well-being: the intervening role of psychological detachment. Occup. Health Sci. 2, 337–363 (2018).

3. Bratman, G. N. et al. Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 112, 8567–8572 (2015).

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