GUEST POST BY Wendy Jenkins OAM, READY RESILIENCE
Ready Resilience helps organisations thrive during times of change and challenge, using practical neuroscience-based resilience tools that have been proven to offer in-the-moment solutions and long-lasting results. Learn actionable tips you can apply right away in Ready Resilience Founder Wendy Jenkins’ articles, written exclusively for the TEMi community.
Unleashing the power of neuroleadership: Brain breaks
In high-performing teams, there’s often an unspoken badge of honour around being constantly busy or ‘pushing through’. But from a neuroleadership perspective, this can backfire – badly.
Our brains aren’t built for nonstop focus. In fact, studies reveal that sustained attention depletes cognitive resources and activates stress systems. The prefrontal cortex – responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional regulation – needs regular rest to function well. Without it, we usually see more errors, impulse actions, and poor decision-making.
Taking short, intentional breaks acts like a neural reset. It allows the brain’s default mode network (DMN) to activate, a state linked to insight, creativity, and emotional processing.
Think of it as giving your brain a moment to ‘file away’ what it’s learned and reconnect ideas in new ways. This is especially valuable for teams doing complex, strategic, or emotionally demanding work.
Neuroleaders can help normalise breaks by modelling them, scheduling them, and encouraging micro-recovery moments throughout the day – whether it’s a five-minute walk, a screen-free lunch, or a moment of quiet reflection.
It’s not about doing less. It’s about working with the brain, not against it.
A workplace culture that respects rest doesn’t lower standards, it lifts performance.
When teams return from a break, they often bring better attention, more patience, and fresh thinking to the table. That’s not weakness – it’s intelligent neuroleadership.
So next time you or your team feel the urge to just ‘push through’, pause and ask: Would a short break help us perform better, think clearer, and connect more?
Because in today’s high-demand workplaces, knowing when to pause may be one of your team’s biggest competitive advantages.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wendy Jenkins is the founder of Ready Resilience, Co-Founder of the Lungitude Foundation, certified Neuroplastician, Speaker and Lung Transplant Survivor.
Ready Resilience helps organisations thrive during times of change and challenge, using practical neuroscience-based resilience tools that have been proven to offer in-the-moment solutions and long-lasting results.
Having been told she had two years to live over eighteen years ago, Wendy is passionate about empowering people to transform their perspective on life’s challenges through dynamic masterclasses, workshops, and certified resilience training.
To learn how Wendy can support and inspire you at your next conference, leadership event, or personal development session, visit www.readyresilience.com email [email protected] or connect with Wendy on LinkedIn.
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