Rest is productive (even when it feels like it isn’t)

Reflections from yesterday's dog walk

I was walking around Hyde Park yesterday evening, and every time I’m here I feel SO good- like a fog has lifted from my brain.

But, before I go - I also feel bad.

Because in the back of my mind, I’m thinking,

“You could be at home answering emails, crossing off to-dos, being productive.”

No matter how many times I repeat to myself - and say out loud during corporate workshops and talks - that rest is productive, that walking helps your brain work better, it’s still hard to live that truth.

Especially when every part of our culture is whispering (or shouting): “Keep going. Do more. Don’t stop.”

But here’s the thing.
As a neuroscientist, I know what happens inside our brains when we walk in nature.

• A one-hour walk in nature (like through a park or forest) has been shown to lower activity in the amygdala- the part of the brain involved in stress and anxiety.

• It can increase the volume of the subiculum (part of the hippocampus that helps regulate stress and rumination).

• It reduces cortisol (our stress hormone), improves mood, and gives our executive systems a much-needed break- which is why after a walk, things just feel clearer.

According to a recent study from Sudimac et al. (2024) urban walks don’t offer the same effect.

This study took place in Berlin and involved participants going for a walk- either in a lush forest (Grunewald) or along a busy city shopping street (Schloßstraße). Both groups were tracked and measured using GPS, heart rate sensors, and brain scans before and after their walks.

Both walks were the same distance, at roughly the same speed.

No phones.
No distractions.
Just walking.
The only difference was the environment.

The “nature” group walked through a dense forest with no buildings or traffic noise, and the “urban” group walked through a loud, bustling street lined with malls, traffic, subway stations, and crowds.

When participants came back, researchers scanned their brains again.

Only the nature walk led to changes in a key brain region: the subiculum, part of the hippocampus, which is deeply involved in regulating stress and rumination (aka, overthinking). The volume of this brain region actually increased after just one hour in the forest.

Meanwhile, the people who walked in the city? Nothing.

No measurable change. Same distance. Same effort. Entirely different outcome.

So remember that the act of walking is one thing, but the quality of the environment also matters to our brains.

When I think back to my own internal tug-of-war- “Should I go for a walk, or stay home and be ‘productive’?”- I realise how deeply ingrained that productivity bias is. But our brains don’t thrive just on output. They thrive on restoration.

And nature, it turns out, is one of the most efficient neural recovery tools we have.

Looking at brain scans, you can actually see how natural environments help reset the mind. Theta brainwave activity drops. Attention systems cool down. Creativity and memory get a boost. Even heart rate and oxygen levels improve.

Yet here I was…
In one of the most beautiful parks in London.
With my happy, tail-wagging dogs.
And I was debating whether this time would be better spent at my desk.

So here’s the reminder I gave myself - and maybe you need it too:

Time spent in nature is not time wasted. It’s time invested in your mental clarity, emotional regulation, and cognitive performance.

You’re not falling behind.
You’re creating space to think better, feel better, be better.

Looking at this video now (with my two very joyful dogs), I’m reminded what it feels like to rest well.

So I’m headed back out.
Hope you are too.

Lots of love,

Anne-Sophie