Imagine a sports team training from eight in the morning until eight at night — no breaks, no recovery, just endless pushing. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Every coach and trainer would tell you that’s a guaranteed path to burnout and injury. Yet that’s exactly how many professionals approach their workdays. We push ourselves relentlessly from morning to night, believing that more hours mean more results — when in reality, the opposite is true.
I was talking about this recently with my son, Cameron, who plays professional football in Europe. We were discussing how athletes structure their days — the balance between intense training and deliberate recovery. In elite sport, recovery isn’t optional. It’s built into every plan. Nutrition, sleep, hydration, stretching, even mental rest — it’s all considered essential to peak performance. Athletes know that you can’t perform well if you never recover. But in the business world, that truth seems to have been forgotten.
I’m writing from Melbourne, where I’ve been working with a few leadership teams this week. As I looked over their schedules, I noticed the same pattern I see in so many organisations: days filled to the brim. From the moment they wake up, they’re answering messages, joining meetings, solving problems, responding to emails — all the way until evening. No breathing space. No recovery. Just constant activity. By mid-afternoon, the drop in energy is visible. Focus fades, productivity dips, creativity disappears. They’re left wondering why they feel drained, even though they’ve been “productive” all day. The answer is simple: they’re overtraining — mentally, not physically.
A study I came across recently found something fascinating: six short breaks of around five minutes each are more effective for maintaining energy and focus than one long thirty-minute break. It’s not about how much time you take off — it’s about how regularly you allow yourself to pause. Your brain, like your body, performs best when it operates in cycles of effort and recovery.
That’s why I recommend building what I call “Let Me Breathe” moments into your day. Every hour to ninety minutes, stop for five minutes. Step away from your desk. Go for a short walk, grab a coffee, read something that isn’t work-related, or simply sit quietly. The key is to disconnect your mind from work, even briefly. These moments of recovery don’t reduce your productivity — they restore it. You’ll return sharper, calmer, and more focused.
And yes, I’m also a big believer in a proper lunch break — perhaps that’s my French side showing. In France, we treat lunch as sacred. It’s a real break, not a sandwich eaten in front of a screen. Taking time to eat, talk, and breathe is part of a healthy rhythm.
So here’s my challenge for you this week: look at your day and ask yourself, where can I create recovery? Don’t see breaks as a luxury or a sign of weakness. See them as part of your performance plan. You’re not wasting five minutes — you’re investing in your energy. And when your energy is right, everything else follows.
The best performers don’t just push harder. They recover smarter.
Hope you have a lovely day.
A bientôt,
Cyril
