04 / Between the Scroll and the Silence: Finding Real Rest

Noise With Glitter

By Emily Tissot

“Whaa, whaa, whaaaaa… screens are ruining your brain!” yells a congresswoman on some random news cycle I’ve flicked on as part of my intentional brain-dead “fun time” for the day. She sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher, and I mimic her: “Wha, wha, whaaaaaa…” as I simultaneously open Instagram and let Cowboy Carter blare from Alexa in the next room. Mission accomplished. My brain is so distracted, so full, so occupied, that there’s no way I can comprehend a single thought—let alone a cohesive one.

I’ve entered my “hour of insanity,” as my wife calls it. It’s the time of day when I completely check out and pretend there’s nothing in the world besides the cat videos rolling across my screen. This hour is my half of a negotiated settlement with my hostile, punitive mind. Every day, I offer myself “fun” screen time as a trade-off for pushing through headaches, heartaches, and apathy.

I’m sure we all have our own version of this story. Pause here and ask yourself: what negotiations do you make with yourself just to keep moving? Write them down. Smile. Then buckle up, because I’m about to launch into the scientific reasoning behind why my strategy isn’t working (big surprise… I know).

Recently, I cracked open Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley. I studied under Professor Oakley during undergrad and found her wildly insightful, brilliant, sweet, and kind. Her life story is incredible (highly recommend checking out her work). But what immediately grabbed me in the book was the concept of “your brain at rest.”

According to Oakley and decades of cognitive science, the brain has two main learning modes: focused and diffuse. Focused mode is active—studying, memorizing, solving problems. It’s the grind. Diffuse mode is looser, slower, subconscious. It’s what happens when you aren’t trying. The shower thoughts. The stare-out-the-window moments. The quiet.

And here’s the kicker: in order to integrate knowledge, creativity, or emotional processing, your brain needs this kind of real, unstructured rest.

But here’s what it doesn’t need: fake-idle time. The endless scroll. The algorithmically curated videos of toddlers doing backflips into whipped cream. That kind of “rest” is just noise—noisy enough to silence stress for a second, but not enough to process it.

So while I thought I was buying peace with cat videos and curated chaos, what I was actually doing was feeding a loop. My “fun time” wasn’t rest—it was noise with glitter.

Now, am I going to toss my phone into the Hudson and start meditating under a tree? Probably not. But maybe I’ll start swapping some of my screen dopamine for actual rest. Let my brain go on its version of a walk. Let it wander. And in that wandering, maybe I’ll find a thought that isn’t just a reaction—but actually... mine.

Here’s to renegotiating the treaty with our minds. One scroll-less hour at a time.

🌱 Resliency

In this and many future issues, we’ll share inspiring quotes and tips from patients about what keeps them grounded and moving forward. Here, three people reflect on their experiences with resilience.

Misconceptions About Resilience

• Jim: Expressing frustration isn’t weakness—it’s balance.

• Samantha: Resilience doesn’t mean staying positive; it means showing up again, even when it hurts.

• Amber: Emotions are not the absence of resilience. True resilience includes emotional reaction—what matters is the ability to move forward.

 📊 Life Beyond the Chart

A book worth reading: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alavarez. I read this book in high school, and multiple times since. It’s a historical fiction novel that talks about the lives of the Mirabal sisters in mid 20th century Dominican Republic while under the leadership of Rafael Trujillo.

They had a code name, Las Mariposas (which means the butterflies) symbolized their resistance group. Even through fear, the sisters were courageous. Their story made such an impact on me, that my first tattoo was a blue butterfly.

This story honors real life heroines who risked everything for justice. It’s a true tribute to resilience, their memory and the impact of those who dare defy unjust rule

An activity worth doing: walking. Most days, walking is all I can do. My body doesn’t allow me to do what I used to, but walking never lets me down. On days I can’t get outside, my treadmill allows me to move while I work. The movement helps me stay active, helps keep me focused, and has helped my joint pain. It's the small habits built around walking that have helped me improve my stamina, and my mental clarity.

A mindset shift worth making: Shifting my mindset to be grateful for my body, even though it feels broken, has been one of the hardest but most healing things I’ve done. It’s not perfect. Some days, I’m frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed by the things I can’t do, the pain, or the flare-ups. Somewhere along the way, I started noticing that no matter how bad it gets, my body still shows up. Battered, bruised, and broken, it still gets me through each day. It keeps fighting, even when I feel like I can’t.

The shift from resenting my body to appreciating its resilience has helped me see all my broken parts differently. I don’t see them as failures, but as signs of strength. It doesn’t erase the hard days, but it helps me sit with them, learn from them, and move forward with more compassion for myself. I’m learning to say, “thank you” to my body, not because it’s flawless, but because it’s still here with me and for me; fighting every step of the way.

A social media account worth following: @goodnews_movement on IG. Following a good news only IG account really helps my mental health. With all the hardships and negativity in the world, seeing stories with happy endings, cute animals or kids gives me a little faith back in humanity. It’s a small habit, but in my small world, seeing someone else’s happiness helps lift my mood and helps me focus on hope instead of stress.

A comfort item worth keeping nearby: my water bottle. Specifically my 32oz hydrojug with a straw. It’s silly but we’ve all seen the jokes about the emotional support bottle. I am that person that takes it with them everywhere. It’s oddly reassuring where it became a quiet reminder that I’m taking care of myself. Some days, I have multiple with me at a time; something for each need I have from hydration to caffeine to electrolytes. As someone who’s struggled with my liquid intake for years, it’s helpful and comforting to have the reminder with me daily.

Interested in sharing your Life Beyond The Chart?
Email us at [email protected] 

📚️ Good Reads

🎸Healing Sounds

From The Line of Best Fit: “Crown Of Roses sees Patty Griffin shifting fluidly between intimate confessions, philosophical musings, and symbolic storytelling. Ruminating on a vast array of themes and deeply personal topics, spanning the trajectory of women in the 20th and 21st centuries and communion with nature, to the sound of her voice after cancer treatment made its mark, to the relationship with her late mother, whose wedding day photo graces the album’s cover, set into artwork by Mishka Westell that captures many of her greatest loves, including the Maine woods of her – and Patty’s – childhood.” Patty Griffin announces first album in six years, Crown of Roses

Back at the Start
Listen on Spotify
Listen on YouTube