Dear Andrea Csilla,

Right now, as you read this, I’m deep in the mountains of Georgia.
Tent on my back. Phone off. Mind open.

Some days we hike 20 kilometers.
Some days we climb 1,400 meters.
Every day, I’m surrounded by silence, rhythm, and breath.

It’s not a retreat from life.
It’s a return to it.

🧠 Why Stepping Away Isn’t Weakness — It’s Wisdom

As a doctor, I know that your brain doesn’t thrive on nonstop input.
It needs moments of integration, not just stimulation.

Think of it like digestion:
You don’t eat all day without pause.
Why expect your mind to absorb ideas without time to process them?

Modern work teaches us to optimize every moment.
But the brain — especially the creative, strategic, empathetic brain — works best with space.

🧪 The Science

Research shows that when your mind wanders freely in restful settings, it activates the default mode network (DMN) — a system linked to insight, memory consolidation, and meaning-making (Buckner et al., 2008).

This is why your best ideas come in the shower, on a walk, or...
…in the mountains.

💡 Doctor’s Tip: Don’t Wait for a Trek to Create Space

Most people don’t need a 7-day hike.
They need 15 minutes of real disconnection.

Try this:

✅ Walk without your phone
✅ Journal without a prompt
✅ Stare out a window after a meeting
✅ Resist the reflex to “fill” every break

This is not wasting time.
This is where ideas land.

🎯 I stepped away — so I can return clearer.

What would stepping away look like for you?

Protect your focus. Protect your health.

No pitch. Just presence.
We’ll reconnect soon.

📚 References

• Buckner, R. L., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2008). The brain’s default network: Anatomy, function, and relevance to disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124(1), 1–38.

   

   

  Have a productive day!

  Andrea

Connect with your community

Join the Stress-free Team Facebook community, where you can share experiences with like-minded people and learn new methods for a stress-free life!

Connect with me

LinkedIn: Andrea (Csilla) Szabó

Facebook: Andrea Csilla Szabo  (Szacs)

Website: Stress-free Team