Why Taking a Break Gives You a Leadership Advantage
Are you fuelling your leadership with sustainable energy, or risking burnout by pushing through without rest?
By Suzie Thoraval
“It takes courage to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.”
- Brene Brown
It’s always been so tempting for me to keep working to get things done and give up breaks in favour of the satisfaction of a completed task. Now that I run my own practice, it is even more difficult to stop at the end of the day or the week. There’s so much I want to do, could do, need to do. It sometimes feels like time spent on anything but my practice is wasted time. Not so.
I’m learning that resting is as important as any other ingredient in a successful business. We need to strengthen our effectiveness as leaders by taking a rest.
Rest as a Leadership Power Tool in Complex Times
In today’s dynamic landscape, leaders face unprecedented demands to stay agile, resilient, and steadfast amidst uncertainty. With mounting pressure to achieve, many leaders may overlook one of their most vital resources—rest. Yet rest is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental tool for sustaining leadership performance and fostering adaptive stability.
Why Rest is Essential to Leadership Performance
Research consistently shows that rest has a direct impact on cognitive function, decision-making, and emotional intelligence—all key components of effective leadership. Studies reveal that leaders who prioritise regular rest perform significantly better in terms of creativity, problem-solving, and stress management.
According to one study, lack of sleep and recovery time leads to diminished activity in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for decision-making and impulse control, making leaders more prone to reactive decision-making rather than thoughtful, strategic action.
What’s more, rest supports the emotional resilience needed to inspire and lead teams through complexity. When we’re well-rested, we are better able to approach challenges with patience, empathy, and calm. Arianna Huffington, who now famously champions the benefits of rest after collapsing on her desk from burnout and exhaustion and breaking a cheekbone, has said: "Burnout is not the price you have to pay for success."
Five Practical Tips for Building Rest into Your Routine
So how do you get more rest, when there is so much to attend to?
Schedule It as Non-Negotiable Time: Treat rest as an appointment you can’t miss. Block it out in your calendar and protect it as you would an important meeting.
Start and End Your Day Mindfully: Begin your day with quiet time rather than diving straight into emails, and set aside a winding-down period at night. This helps your brain transition and prepares it for rest.
Embrace Micro-Breaks: Short pauses throughout the day can boost mental energy and clarity. Step away for a quick walk, practice mindful breathing, or simply stretch to recharge.
Use Delegation: Effective leaders know they don’t have to do everything. Delegate responsibilities where possible to free up time for rest and focus on higher-level strategy.
Establish a “Digital Sunset”: Shut down devices at least one hour before bed. Limiting screen time at night enhances sleep quality and allows your mind to unwind without distraction.
Reflect on Your Rest Practices
Ask yourself the following questions:
How often do I make time for intentional rest, and what difference does it make in my leadership effectiveness?
Am I prioritising rest as an essential part of my self-care, or is it often the first thing I sacrifice?
In what ways could adding even small moments of rest improve my resilience and decision-making?
What mindset shifts might I need to make in order to view rest as a strategic resource rather than a reward?
How could embracing rest as a leadership tool enable me to model balance and well-being for my team?
Incorporating rest into your leadership practice isn’t about slowing down—it’s about sharpening your capacity to lead effectively through the long haul.
Rested leaders bring clarity, innovation, and calm to the challenges at hand, fostering adaptive stability in uncertain and complex times.
As Maya Angelou said, “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.”
By prioritising rest, you give yourself and your team the strength to rise to whatever comes next.
What do you do to prioritise rest?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
