Scheduled Recovery Breaks

Unlock Peak Performance: The Power of Recovery for Entrepreneurs and Leaders High-performance leaders and entrepreneurs often push themselves to the limit, believing that more hours mean better results. But scientific research shows that recovery—not overwork—is the real key to sustained success and well-being. A study published in Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice found that leaders who intentionally schedule recovery enter “flow” more often, boosting both performance and mental health . 📊 Key Findings: 🔹 Entrepreneurs who take regular recovery breaks experience higher creativity, focus, and energy. 🔹 Flow—the state of deep focus and high performance—is fueled by recovery, not just motivation. 🔹 Without recovery, burnout risk increases, and long-term productivity drops. 💡 What This Means for You If you’re constantly feeling exhausted despite working hard, the problem isn’t effort—it’s recovery. Research proves that leaders who structure breaks and downtime perform better and stay mentally sharp longer. 🔑 How to Boost Performance Through Recovery 1️⃣ Plan Recovery as Seriously as Work 📌 How? ✅ Schedule "mental resets"—5-10 min breaks between deep work sessions. ✅ Use structured detachment—step away from work completely for short, pre-planned periods. ✅ Incorporate low-effort activities (e.g., walking, listening to music) to recharge mental energy. 📊 Impact: Leaders who implement recovery strategies report 31% higher long-term productivity . 2️⃣ Use Recovery to Enter "Flow" More Often 📌 How? ✅ Identify high-energy work periods and protect them from distractions. ✅ Schedule recovery before and after intense focus work (e.g., coaching, strategy planning). ✅ Encourage employees to craft their own recovery strategies—autonomy improves engagement. 📊 Impact: Recovery-based scheduling increases flow frequency by 40%, leading to more productive work sessions . 3️⃣ Treat Recovery as a Team Strategy, Not Just Personal Wellness 📌 How? ✅ Make micro-breaks part of company culture—leaders should model healthy habits. ✅ Redesign work schedules to allow deep work followed by recovery periods. ✅ Recognize that sustained overwork lowers creative problem-solving ability—encourage balance. 📊 Impact: Companies that support recovery reduce burnout rates by 30% and improve retention . 🛠 Bottom Line Peak performance isn’t about grinding harder—it’s about working smarter. Leaders who prioritize recovery, structure breaks, and optimize flow see higher output, better decisions, and a healthier workforce. 📖 LaRue, L., Mäkikangas, A., & de Bloom, J. (2024). Entrepreneur Coaches’ Flow and Well-Being: The Role of Recovery. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 17(2), 265-282. 👉 What’s one recovery habit you can implement today? Let’s discuss in the comments! ⬇️ #Leadership #Performance #EmployeeWellbeing #HR #RecoveryMatters

Every 90 minutes, your brain sabotages your productivity. But there's a way to turn this biological glitch into a performance enhancer. The hidden science of ultradian rhythms and strategic recovery: You know that feeling? Deep focus. Everything clicking. Then suddenly... brain fog. Can't think straight. Everything's harder. You push through with coffee and willpower. That's where you're going wrong. Your brain runs on invisible rhythms. Not just the 24-hour circadian rhythm everyone knows about. But 90-120 minute cycles throughout the day. Scientists call them ultradian rhythms. These cycles control: • Alertness peaks and valleys • Hormone fluctuations • Cognitive resource availability • Even your flow state access Fighting them is like swimming against a riptide. Here's what happens every 90 minutes: Your brain shifts from high performance to recovery mode. Attention fragments. Energy dips. Focus becomes forced. This isn't weakness. It's biology. Most people try to "power through" these dips. They create a stress response: • Cortisol spikes • Cognitive resources deplete faster • Future flow states become harder to access You're exhausting your brain's recovery systems.• But here's the neuroscience secret: These dips are not obstacles. They're opportunities. Your brain uses these moments to: • Clear metabolic waste • Replenish neurotransmitters • Consolidate information IF you let it. The solution: Strategic breaking. When you feel the dip (every 90 minutes), stop completely. Don't push through. Don't grab your phone. Don't check email. Just... stop. But how you break determines everything. Bad breaks are high-stimulation: • Social media scrolling • News checking • Chatting with colleagues • Anything with notifications They flood your brain with dopamine, making work feel like punishment. Good breaks are intentionally boring: • Staring at a wall • Walking without podcasts • Light stretching • Breathing exercises Low cognitive stimulation lets your brain actually recover. Here's the counterintuitive part: The "more boring" your break... The more your brain WANTS to return to work. Work becomes the stimulating reward after intentional boredom. You've hacked your own reward system. The protocol is simple: BURST: 90 minutes of intense focus BREAK: 5-10 minutes of boring recovery No exceptions. No "just five more minutes." No "quick phone check." Binary. Intense work or complete rest. When you honor these rhythms: • Each work burst starts fresh • Flow states last longer • Afternoon crashes disappear • You finish energized, not depleted Because you're surfing the waves instead of fighting them. Your brain already runs these cycles. You can't stop them. You can only work with them or against them. Master the 90-minute rhythm, and watch your sustainable productivity soar.

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

My biggest hack for peak performance? Intentional breaks. Because breaks should be weapons, not crutches. Here's why: Circumstantial breaks = Reactive Intentional breaks = Proactive and strategic Think of it this way: Circumstantial breaks are like hitting pause when you're out of breath. Intentional breaks are like strategic timeouts in a championship game. One is desperate. The other is game-changing. Reactive breaks: • When you're overwhelmed • When you're stuck • When you're burnt out Result? Playing catch-up, not getting ahead. Intentional breaks: • Scheduled for peak productivity • Designed for mental reset • Aligned with your energy cycles Result? Sustained focus, creativity, and output. Here’s how to make your breaks intentional: 1. Schedule them. Yes, in your calendar. Non-negotiable. 2. Design them. What recharges you? Nature walk? Power nap? Meditation? 3. Time them right. Before big tasks. After completing projects. When switching gears. 4. Keep them sacred. No email. No socials. No work talk. Set boundaries, and make sure you actually respect them yourself! 5. Return with purpose. Set a clear intention for your next work sprint. Remember: Work expands to fill the time available. So does recovery. Make your breaks work for you, not against you. PS: When are you planning your next break for? (Sometimes mine look like this, but mostly I’m in my trackies doing a jigsaw puzzle or doing my piano practice)

You don’t need six months off to recover. You need a system of breaks that keeps you human today. I call them Strategic Sabbaticals. Here’s how I design mine: → Daily (1 hour): Phone off, move your body, no agenda. → Weekend (1 day): Unplug and let your nervous system catch up. → Quarterly (3–10 days): Zoom out, reset strategy. → Annual (14 days): Disappear fully. Let your team and vision expand without you. This year my annual sabbatical was two weeks in Japan. It gave me more clarity than six months of grinding ever could. Ignore this rhythm, and burnout doesn’t just stall you. It compounds until your business, your health, or your personal life pays the price. Rest isn’t a reward. It’s a requirement. How are you including Strategic Sabbaticals in your schedule?

Olympic coaches ban "grinding" during training. Here's why recovery beats hours worked: A CIO just DM'd me at midnight: "Everyone's grinding. Revenue's flat. Help." I got this. His team had the same problem we did. My Olympic coach's solution shocked everyone: "Stop tracking work hours. Start measuring recovery quality." The results? Beyond what we imagined. The secret? We flipped the performance equation: ❌ Recovery isn't what happens AFTER peak performance. ✅ Recovery CREATES peak performance. Here's the system we used and I now teach my clients: 9 Olympic-level performance insights: 1. The Recovery Paradox ⚡ Strategic downtime becomes your competitive advantage ↳ Replace one "always-on" meeting with 30-minute recovery block 🌟 2x better problem-solving when fully recovered 2. The 48-Hour Reset Rule 🎯 Mandatory mental disconnection after intense projects ↳ No work discussions for 48 hours post-project delivery 🌟 Projects completed faster with fewer errors 3. Energy Management > Time Management 🧠 Schedule by cognitive peaks, not clock time ↳ Track energy 3 days, move key meeting to peak time 🌟 Same work in 6 focused hours vs 9 scattered 4. The High-Stakes Protocol 💪 Micro-breaks that enhance decision quality ↳ 5-minute breathing breaks between back-to-back meetings 🌟 Better decisions under pressure 5. Recovery Metrics That Matter 📊 Track rest quality like productivity metrics ↳ Add "meeting-free blocks taken" to weekly dashboard 🌟 Data-driven proof of recovery impact 6. The Boundary Blueprint 🛡️ Protected recovery time unlocks innovation ↳ Define team "no-contact hours" (7-9 PM) 🌟 Teams stay longer, innovate better 7. Strategic Recovery Zones 🌿 Physical spaces for mental restoration ↳ Create one phone-free zone in office 🌟 Enhanced creativity and fresh perspectives 8. The Leadership Paradox 👑 Leaders modeling recovery multiply team performance ↳ Share one recovery practice in next team meeting 🌟 Better leader retention of top talent 9. Olympic-Level Implementation ⭐ Start small with one measurable change ↳ Add 5-minute buffers between meetings for two weeks 🌟 Sustainable high-performance culture Here's the truth most productivity experts won't tell you: ❌ Working harder isn't brave. It's lazy thinking. ✅ The real courage is in building recovery into your culture. Which of these 9 techniques shocked you most? Please share below ⬇️ ♻️ Share this with a leader who needs to see it 🔔 Follow Eva Gysling, OLY for more Olympic-to-Business performance systems 🔥 Want to talk about implementing this system? DM me "RECOVERY".

Time for my semi-annual repost of the research on what back-to-back meetings do to our brains: Hugely important research from Microsoft's Work Lab shows how urgently our brains need breaks between meetings, aligning with scores of previous studies on the critical need for micro-rest between meetings to prevent burnout, reduce stress, and improve well-being. “Our research shows breaks are important, not just to make us less exhausted by the end of the day, but to actually improve our ability to focus and engage while in those meetings,” says Michael Bohan, senior director of Microsoft’s Human Factors Engineering group, who oversaw the project. A few highlights from the research: 💡Breaks between meetings allow the brain to "reset," reducing the cumulative buildup of stress across meetings. 💡Back-to-back meetings don't just cause stress and reduce well-being, they also decrease our ability to focus and engage. 💡Transitioning between meetings when deprived of breaks is a source of especially high stress. How to do shift to actually taking the micro-breaks between meetings the science shows us we all need to be our most productive and engaged: 🎯 Set meeting defaults to 25 and 50 (rather than 30 and 60) minutes- automatically scheduling micro-breaks throughout everyone's workday. Pro tip: It takes only a few seconds to update your meeting default times in Outlook, Google, and other common calendar apps. 🎯 Shift your mindset. While powering through back-to-backs might seem productive, the research clearly shows the opposite is true. Breaks away from meetings are an essential part of a productive, focused, engaged work day. 🎯 Find even more time for screen and meeting breaks by considering other modes of communication. Does this REALLY need to be a meeting? 🎯 Make meetings more intentional. Be thoughtful about who needs to attend, starting and stopping on time (or building in a break), and sharing the agenda ahead of time. What steps have you been successful with implementing to build in micro-breaks and micro-rest? Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gUj8uTaC ID: A series of images of brain scans from Microsoft's Human Factor Lab study, which used EEG caps to measure stress build up. One row of scans shows brain images with no breaks between four meetings and shows a clear build-up of stress across back-to-back meetings. A second row of scans shows brain images with micro-breaks between meetings and shows no build-up of stress across back-to-back meetings. #WellBeing #WellBeingAtWork #OrganizationalCulture #WorkSmarterNotHarder #Burnout #BurnoutPrevention -- As always, thoughts and views are my own and do not reflect those of my current employer.

Peak performance has a secret ingredient. It's not more hours. It's better recovery. Everyone knows about the 10,000 hours rule. Work hard, practice relentlessly, become elite. But here's what they don't tell you: The highest performers in that famous study didn't just practice more. They rested more. With more intention. Learning this changes how we think about success. Rest isn't the enemy of achievement. It's the foundation. Here are 7 ways to rest like a high performer: 1. Schedule recovery like meetings 📅 ↳ Block time for rest before you need it 2. Make sleep non-negotiable 😴 ↳ Elite performers averaged 8.5 hours nightly 3. Take real breaks during work 🚶 ↳ Step away from screens every 90 minutes 4. Practice active recovery 🧘 ↳ Gentle movement beats complete stillness 5. Set digital boundaries ⏰ ↳ No emails after 8PM, no exceptions 6. Honor your energy cycles 🌊 ↳ Match intense work to your peak hours 7. Celebrate doing nothing 🛋️ ↳ Boredom sparks your best ideas Stop glorifying exhaustion. Start optimizing recovery. ♻ Repost to help your network ➕ Follow Carmen Morin for more

Train hard, recover smart. Athletes know rest is essential for peak performance—businesses should too. Recovery time fuels innovation, prevents burnout, and sustains long-term success. I write this as many are getting back from March break (which sometimes requires its own recovery time, depending on the age of your kids). I am reminded of recovery time for sports by my coach or by my body through injuries. I’ve injured myself most of the time when I’m tired or am over training. Strategic recovery for work isn’t talked about as much. I personally have guilt over it because for so long I believed productivity meant working more and harder. But taking time for recovery is an investment in productivity and creativity. I am most creative and productive when I am bored or have had a break. I still have to remind myself of this because of the strong culture around working long hours and hard are well engrained. It’s not effective or sustainable. The best performers, in sports and business, work hard AND recover wisely. 💡 Here’s how: 🏋️♂️ Muscle Repair → Business Innovation Rest strengthens muscles. Reflection fuels fresh ideas. Recover after major launches or intense projects. 💪 Injury Prevention → Avoiding Burnout Overtraining causes injuries. Overworking leads to disengagement. Recover after demanding deadlines or high-stakes deals. ⚡ Energy Replenishment → Strategic Planning Athletes refuel. Businesses realign priorities. Recover before setting new goals or planning retreats. 🧠 Mental Resilience → Team Productivity Fatigue kills focus. Rest restores creativity. Recover after rapid growth or crisis situations. 😴 Better Sleep → Healthier Work Culture Recovery improves decision-making and leadership. Recover by promoting breaks and flexible policies. 🚀 Adaptation → Sustainable Growth Athletes don’t just train harder—they recover smarter. So should businesses. Recover before scaling or pivoting strategies. 💬 How is your level of creativity and energy after last week (or your last break)?

If you’re always tired, your business will always feel heavy. Here’s why: Your brain needs rest to operate at its highest level. Yet most coaches and entrepreneurs only rest when they “get a chance.” But think about the Pareto Principle. If 80% of your results come from 20% of effort— then 20% of your week should also be planned rest. For me, it looks like this: ✔ Mondays = CEO Planning Days (working ON the business) ✔ Fridays = CEO Pampering Days (self-care, no meetings) ✔ Protected mornings, daily lunch breaks, and clear meeting windows These small boundaries create massive returns: ⚡ Better energy during client calls ⚡ Clearer decisions for my business ⚡ More creativity for content and launches Because here’s the truth— If you don’t protect your rest, your results will suffer. ✨ Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a business strategy. So… are you scheduling your weekends and your weekdays for recovery?