Incorporating Breaks for Sustained Energy

You’re not burned out—you’re just taking breaks the wrong way. Here’s how to fix it, based on science. Want to perform better? Take better breaks. Breaks today are where sleep was 15 years ago—underrated and misunderstood. But how you take a break matters. Most people think more work = more productivity. But research shows that strategic breaks are the real key to staying sharp. The problem? Most of us take breaks that don’t actually help. Scrolling alone at your desk? Not it. Here’s how to take a break that actually works: Move, don’t sit – Walk, stretch, or get outside instead of staying glued to your chair. Movement resets your brain. Go outside, not inside – Fresh air and sunlight restore energy and boost creativity. Be social, not solo – Breaks are more effective when taken with someone else. Fully unplug – Leave your phone. No work talk. No emails. No scrolling. Just a real reset. Try this: Take a 10-minute walk outside with a colleague. Talk about anything but work. Leave your phone at your desk. Watch how much better you feel—and perform. Breaks aren’t a luxury. They’re a performance tool. Treat them like it. Got a break routine that works for you? Drop it below Or send this to someone who needs a real break.

Sitting for hours at a time doesn’t just affect your energy—it can seriously disrupt blood sugar control. A recent study reveals that interrupting prolonged sitting with short bursts of movement can significantly improve glycemic control. In the study, participants who performed 3 minutes of walking or 10 bodyweight squats every 45 minutes had better blood sugar regulation compared to those who stayed seated or even those who took a single 30-minute walk. These frequent, targeted bursts of activity were shown to activate key muscle groups like the quadriceps and glutes, leading to better glucose management throughout the day. This is proof that you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to support your metabolic health. Frequent, intentional movement throughout the day—what my friend Dr. Rhonda Patrick calls “exercise snacks”—can be a powerful tool to improve blood sugar control, especially for those of us with sedentary jobs. How will you fit this into your day?

In many Chinese schools, students pause class for 1–3 minutes and move together — inside the classroom. Are you taking breaks during your office hours? Not a dance. Not military. System design. It’s called 广播体操 (Radio Calisthenics) and it’s been used nationally for decades to reset posture, circulation, and attention. • Prolonged sitting reduces cognitive performance after 30–40 minutes • Short movement breaks improve focus and working memory by 10–15% • Light physical activity increases blood flow to the brain by up to 20% • Even 2 minutes of movement measurably reduces mental fatigue Now apply this to tech and business. Knowledge workers sit 9–11 hours/day, live in back-to-back video calls, and are expected to make high-quality decisions at speed. That’s not a productivity issue. It’s a human-system mismatch. As AI scales execution, human attention becomes the bottleneck. The next performance upgrade may not be more software — but movement designed into workflows. China implemented it at national scale. Optimize the human. Then optimize the system. #FutureOfWork #AI #Productivity #Leadership #HumanPerformance #Neuroscience #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation #WorkplaceDesign #CognitivePerformance

I used to poison myself (and my company). It was 2017, and I was burned out. We had just sold part of Ampush. From the outside, everything looked amazing. A $30M revenue business managing hundreds of millions in ad spend for clients like Uber and DoorDash. But inside, I felt lost. I was questioning everything. One night, staring at my whiteboard filled with charts and goals, I thought, "I've built my career on ads and marketing tech. Why didn't I do something more meaningful like curing cancer?" When I brought these thoughts to my executive coach, Dave, I expected him to agree with me. But he didn’t. "Jesse, your problem isn't what you're working on. It's the motivation you're using to run your business. You're running on dirty fuel." “What do you mean?” I asked. Over several coaching sessions, Dave showed me how leaders rely on different "fuels" to drive themselves and their teams. Some are clean and powerful, others corrosive and unsustainable. Let's break em down: 1. Fear Energy - My default mode. Driven by urgency and crisis. "We have to hit these numbers." Works short-term, but burns out your team and breaks culture. 2. Status Energy - The fancy office, big title, "look how much we've grown" mindset. Seductive but fleeting. I fell into this after our exit. 3. Achievement Energy - The "beat last quarter's numbers" energy. Great for growth but limited. A treadmill of always wanting more. 4. Genius Energy - Operating in your natural zone of excellence. Things that feel effortless yet make the biggest impact. For me, that's spotting opportunities and coaching entrepreneurs. 5. Impact Energy - The purest fuel. Focusing on helping others grow, succeed, and thrive. "You could run a cancer-curing company with fear," Dave said, "and it would still feel miserable. Or you could run Ampush with love and genius energy, and it would feel completely different." I started making changes. Stopped reacting from fear. Started seeing my role as a teacher. Focused on what energized me. Trusted others with the rest. My days became lighter. Meetings more productive. Team more creative. The same business that once drained me became energizing. Today at Gateway X, we intentionally cultivate genius and impact energy. It's transformed everything - not just for me, but everyone around me. So, if you’re feeling burned out or stuck, here’s my challenge to you: Ask yourself, "What energy am I running on?" "Fear, status, achievement?" "Or love and genius?"

In supply chain management, the demands never let up. The constant pressure and high stakes can take a toll on clarity and focus, leading to missed opportunities and diminished results.  The solution? Intentional rest. Taking a step back to recharge isn’t an indulgence—it’s essential for better decision-making, improved concentration, and enhanced outcomes. This applies not only to individuals but to entire teams and organizations.  This past summer, I took some time off to unplug and enjoy the simple things—morning walks, time in nature, and spending quality time with loved ones. It was a reminder of how important it is to slow down in order to move forward with greater purpose and energy. By prioritizing wellbeing, leaders empower themselves and their teams to approach challenges with renewed energy and fresh perspectives. Rest equips us to innovate and achieve more while fostering resilience along the way. As we transition out of summer, let’s embrace the value of recovery. For those who recently stepped away to reflect, I hope you’ve come back refreshed and ready for what’s next. Let’s champion a workplace culture that values rest and drives meaningful success. #Leadership #MentalHealth #ResilientLeadership 

Is powering through really the secret to long-term success? Over the years, I’ve seen countless professionals (including myself) push hard to deliver results, sometimes at the expense of mental and physical well-being. But is this approach truly sustainable? After almost 15 years at the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, I’ve learned that what keeps high performance sustainable is the balance of both micro breaks during the day and short breaks every few weeks or months. Research from the University of Illinois found micro breaks can boost productivity by 15%, and a World Health Organization study shows regular vacations can cut burnout risk by 30%. Learning this the hard way, I’ve experienced firsthand that this shift leads to higher engagement, better morale, and consistently strong business outcomes. At the end of the day, it’s not about where or how long you work, it’s about the results you deliver. I strongly believe in fostering a result-driven culture, and from what I’ve seen, high performers who are clear about their objectives and what is expected from them thrive in such environments. Would love to hear about your experiences and learn about what has worked out for you.

You don’t need more hours in your day. You need fewer energy leaks in your life. The burnout epidemic? It’s not caused by lack of time — 👉 It’s caused by mismanaged energy. And the smartest leaders in 2025 are no longer asking: “How do I manage my time better?” They’re asking: “How do I protect my energy at all costs?” What time management gets you: ↳ Fills the calendar ↳ Prioritizes tasks ↳ Measures hours worked ↳ Can lead to burnout ↳ Looks busy What energy management creates: ↳ Protects your focus ↳ Prioritizes recovery + clarity ↳ Measures impact and presence ↳ Enables sustainability ↳ Feels effective ⚠️ Because looking productive ≠ being effective. Here’s the real problem: “You’re not burned out because of too little time... You’re burned out because of too many energy leaks.” Leaky boundaries. Too many Zooms. Saying “yes” when you meant “not today.” This isn’t a calendar problem — It’s a capacity problem. Want to be a more impactful leader? Manage the fuel, not just the clock. Here’s what that looks like: ✔️ Fewer meetings, more thinking time ✔️ Saying NO with clarity, not guilt ✔️ Deep work over shallow tasks ✔️ Rest as a strategy, not a reward ✔️ Protecting your zone of genius This isn’t slacking. It’s sustainable leadership. And it’s what keeps the best performing at their best. The ROI? Game-changing. Leaders who manage energy—not just time—report: ✅ Better decision-making ✅ More creative thinking ✅ Higher-quality execution ✅ And... they don’t crash every quarter Time hits a limit. But energy? Energy multiplies. What’s one way you’re protecting your energy this week? Drop it below. Let’s normalize performance that lasts — not just impresses. 👇👇👇 ♻️ Share this with your network if it resonates. ☝️ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

Peak Performance vs. Sustainable Performance: From Corporate Athletes to Corporate Blue Zones For years, the “Corporate Athlete” mindset has shaped how we think about performance, training our bodies and minds to go faster, harder, longer. It’s all about willpower, routines and discipline. The problem? Athletes are trained to perform at peak performance for a limited number of times during a year and a limited amount of years. It prizes perfection and performance, often at the cost of purpose, connection, and spontaneity. It’s built for short-term excellence, not long-term vitality. I’ve had a long-standing interest in the Blue Zones, the regions of the world where people live the longest, healthiest, and most fulfilling lives. Their success isn’t about extraordinary willpower and focus; it’s about environments designed for balance and meaning. In the corporate world, these ideas translate into organizational design choices: - Integrate movement into the work day. Make conscious choices about our body during the workday. - Make purpose operational, not aspirational. Connect every role to a clear “why.” Purpose drives resilience and engagement far better than pressure. - Build micro-communities. Teams that share meals, rituals, and small wins create belonging - Normalize rest and reflection. Sustainable performance comes from rhythms, not sprints. Model recovery as a leadership behavior. Because the future of performance isn’t about becoming better “corporate athletes.” It’s about designing workplaces where people and organizations can thrive for the long run. To a healthy and meaningful 2026 ! (c) Yves Klein, blue monochrome

I see executives constantly make a mistake you’ll NEVER catch an NFL pro making: Skipping breaks for the sake of “productivity.” Founders and execs think they're optimizing their day by stacking meetings back-to-back-to-back, but they're actually destroying their performance. Athletes understand something executives resist: recovery is part of the performance system, not a reward you earn after burning out. Microsoft's Human Factors Lab proved this back in 2021 with brain wave monitoring during back-to-back virtual meetings: Without breaks, stress (beta wave activity) accumulates across meetings. Your brain literally gets worse at focusing and engaging with each consecutive meeting. With just 10-minute breaks, stress resets between meetings. Participants stayed mentally fresh across four consecutive calls. The transition periods hit hardest. Moving from one meeting to the next without recovery causes sharp stress spikes that compound over time. That’s why, for every executive client, we implement 10-minute breaks between meetings. Not negotiable. Get up, walk around, do some squats. Anything that pulls you away from the screen. A lot of them push back: "I don't have time for breaks." But you can't afford not to take them. The irony is that breaks don't just prevent burnout; they improve your ability to perform in the meetings themselves. Recovery isn't what happens after performance. It's what makes performance possible.

My work is very busy at present. I have a demanding schedule of coaching appointments, workshops, webinars, and learning design deliveries, as well as administrative tasks. So I took yesterday off to ski. Stepping away regularly from work isn't just enjoyable; it’s essential. Research shows that intentional breaks — especially active ones — deliver powerful benefits that enhance our performance and well-being: • 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Our brains operate on an attention budget that depletes throughout the workday (you may notice, for example, that you are more capable of focused productivity in the morning than at the end of the day). Even brief breaks can replenish this resource. During physical activity, different neural pathways activate, allowing overused cognitive circuits to recover — like resting one muscle group while working another. • 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴: Breaks function to interrupt the cycle of stress accumulation. Physical activity in particular triggers endorphin release and reduces cortisol levels, creating a neurochemical reset. Research from Wendsche et al. published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that regular work breaks were consistently associated with lower levels of reported burnout symptoms. • 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Studies in occupational health show that the extended periods of continuous sitting that characterize professional work negatively impact cardiovascular health and metabolism. Active breaks counteract these effects by improving circulation, reducing inflammation markers, and maintaining insulin sensitivity — benefits that persist when you return to work. • 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: Psychological distance from problems activates different regions of the prefrontal cortex. This mental space triggers  an incubation effect wherein our subconscious continues problem-solving while our conscious mind engages elsewhere. Many report solutions crystallizing during or immediately after breaks. • 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁: Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that walking increases creative ideation by up to 60%. Additionally, exposure to novel environments (like mountain vistas) activates the brain's novelty-recognition systems, priming it for innovative thinking. • 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: A study in the journal Cognition found that brief diversions improve focus during extended tasks. Research from Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab revealed that employees who incorporated strategic breaks completed projects 40% faster with fewer errors than those who worked straight through. The irony? Many of us avoid breaks precisely when we need them most. That urgent project, deadline pressure, or busy season seems to demand constant attention, yet this is exactly when a brief disconnect delivers the greatest return. #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #Wellbeing