Keith Adams

The upside and downside of downtime. First up is Helen.

Having the privilege of being raised before the internet in 1980 meant that I was quite familiar with boredom, but like many of us with social media and with constant distractions, I had become a little alienated from it. And then I had three children and the constant refrain of I'm bored was driving me slightly up the wall. So I began to look into the advantages of boredom and saw that there are many and actually many of the best ideas have

been generated during periods of fallowness and boredom. So I feel like mindfulness has had a rebrand and it was boredom's turn. I think there is much to be said for staring at a wall or staring out of the window. And all of my school reports would accuse me of daydreaming. I now feel a sense of pride over. And my children, if they are allowed to be bored, then that's when the magic happens. That's when they create things or famously get along, which is rare but beautiful. Dr. Sandiman, tell us what is going on when we are bored.

I've done all the research which backs up everything that Helen has been saying. It's that lack of stimulation that leads us to search. And if you imagine, you're kind of like a search engine, constantly searching for stimulation. And when we're not getting it, we're just looking more and more. And that can lead us to negative things. So the things that we do to try and unbore ourselves can be harmful.

Eli kun olemme ylöspäin, voimme saada sitä stimulaatiota olemaan enemmän luotettavaa, koska luotettavuus on hyvin stimuloitava prosessi. Ja siksi voimme olla ylöspäin, koska se liittyy meihin, että menemme omiin eläimiin, että katsotaan sitä stimulaatiota, eikä saada sen ulkopuolelle. Helen, oletko kokeillut sitä ideaa, että olisit uskonut, että se ei olisi tapahtunut, jos ei olisi ollut minun mielestäni ylöspäin?

I tend to write non-fiction, but I've just finished my second novel, and none of that would have happened had I filled the idle moments. Can you train yourself to be good at boredom? I think so, and I think that's what Helen's been referring to, just spending that time or more time in downtime.

Olin tekemässä ympäristönä yliopistoni keskustelussa, jossa saimme ihmisiä ulkopuolella, jotka olivat huonosti ympäristössä, eivätkä heillä ollut mikään huone, eivätkä heillä ollut mitään katsottavaa, eivätkä heillä ollut ääntä. Haluamme nähdä, mitä heillä olisi tapahtunut. Ne, jotka sopivat siihen, huomioivat, että alussa he olivat todella stressattomia, todella frustroivia, he olivat agitelleja, he eivät pystyneet ylös. Ja jotkut heidät pysyivät loppumaan.

But those of them that managed to get through that kind of pain threshold found that they became actually relaxed and they got into it. And they came out feeling that it was like a warm bath or a bit of respite. So it's training yourself to just be in the moment, what Helen called mindfulness, but not needing constant levels of stimulation. I think rather than feeling we have to be productive all the time, so giving ourselves a bit of a break is always helpful, I think.

Helen Russell ja Dr. Sandy Mann puhuvat Sarah Montaguista yksityiskohtaisista yksityiskohtaisista yksityiskohtaisista yksityiskohtaisista.

Now she adds another accolade to her collection by winning the BBC's Sound of 2026, which predicts the year's biggest new stars. Our music correspondent Mark Savage went to meet her. Sky Newman burst onto the charts with her debut single last April. Within a month she was drawing huge festival crowds.

It was a very quick journey to everyone else, but not to me. I've been doing music my whole life. First show I'd done, I was about six, and I sung in school. That was just magical, and it's when I really realized that this is what I want to do. Do you remember what you sang? I sung True Colors, Cyndi Lauper. What a song. Those are big notes. My little voice managed to do it at the time. I don't know how.

Sky's biggest hit to date is Family Matters, a song that details her tough upbringing, surrounded by drugs and violence on a London council estate.

Lähtökohtaisesti kirjoitin kappaleen ihmisestä, joka tulee vanhasta taustasta. Ja mielestäni sitä on paljon enemmän kuin ihmiset tunnevat. Monet ihmisistä on lapsia, jotka eivät ymmärrä, kuinka iso se on. Ja monet ihmisistä on lapsia, jotka eivät ymmärrä itseään ensin eikä ratkaista asioitaan. Ja he ajattelevat, etteivät heillä ole rakkautta jokaisessa elämässä, joten he voivat saada kappaleen vanhemmille. Mutta sinä kertoisit heille painoa ja traumaa. Ja se ei ratkaista sitä.

Her stark and confessional songs have won a legion of fans, among them Elton John. I'm talking to Skye Newman, who's our guest on the Rocket Hour this week. Thank you. You are something else. You're such a good songwriter. It's just insanity when I think about it, really. It means everything, because these are voices that I heard in my home growing up. It made me feel proud of myself, which is not something I always feel, to have people who I respect and look up to so much be so kind and welcoming, because they don't have to be.

Did Elton John give you any glasses tips? No, but I was really sad because I went on an interview and I didn't wear my glasses and I was f***ing at myself. Elton, don't worry, I'll have them next time. And it's not just famous friends. A panel of 170 music experts have named Sky Newman the most promising new act of the year. Here's the moment she found out. You are the winner of Radio 1 Sound in 2026. Make some noise for Sky Newman, she's the winner!

The signed off list has previously tipped the likes of Adele, Sam Smith and Dua Lipa for success. Now Sky Newman joins their ranks, setting her up for a huge 2026. That report by Mark Savage. Sky Newman beat two American rivals, Somba and Geese, as well as the British rapper Jim Legacy for that coveted Sound of 2026 title.

And that's all from us for now, but there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. This edition was mixed by Zabihullah Karush and the producer was Rebecca Wood. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Keith Adams. Until next time, goodbye.