WHY SOMETIMES WE NEED LESS, NOT MORE

It’s winter. It’s the end of the financial year. The year is whizzing past, and somehow it feels like Christmas is basically next week.

And if you’re anything like me, or most of the senior leaders and HR professionals I work with, you might be hitting that mid-year energy dip. You’ve kicked a ton of goals, worked hard, and juggled responsibilities. You’ve kept the promises (mostly) you made to yourself about setting better boundaries. You’ve even tried to make space for life outside work.

But now? You’re tired. Not just ‘I need a good night’s sleep’ tired, but a kind of soul-deep fatigue. And the worst part? Your next proper break isn’t until December. Maybe you said you’d ease up in July. But now it’s looking like August. And if we’re honest, that might get pushed too.

We tell ourselves, “I love my work. It’s purposeful. I’m good at it.” And that’s all true.

But let’s be clear – meaningful work is still work. It still draws on your energy, your attention, and your emotions. And if you’re not actively refuelling, eventually, you run out of road.

So, what do we do when the tank’s empty?

A friend recently asked me: How do I galvanise myself right now? What do you do when you know you’re flat but still need to show up?

It’s a great question – but I think there’s an even better one: Should we?

When you hit that wall, when your motivation feels like it’s on mute, it’s not just an inconvenience. It’s a data point. Your body and mind are telling you something.

Sometimes, the best strategy isn’t to push through. It’s to pause.

To take a Joy Break.

UM, What’s ONE OF THOSE?!

A Joy Break isn’t necessarily a holiday (although yes, please, take one of those too). But it could be something smaller. Something you do purely because it lifts you. Because it connects you to the part of yourself that isn’t responsible for everyone and everything.

A Joy Break doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to be yours.

A personal story: finding joy in loss

My mum died recently. And while we travelled to honour her life, we also made a conscious decision to create a “Joy Break” within the grief. We visited places she loved – spots she took us to when we were kids, places she explored on coach holidays with my dad. We retraced her footsteps. It turned a trip filled with sadness into one layered with lightness, too. It gave us something to smile about through the tears.

That’s the power of joy. Not as a denial of difficulty, but as a companion to it.

So, sometimes the Most Productive Thing You Can Do is Nothing

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned this year? Give yourself permission to not be productive every second.

Got a free hour? Don’t default to a webinar. Don’t fill the gap with another info-crammed podcast.

Go for a walk – and listen to comedy, or nature, not a business book. Let your mind breathe.

These unstructured, non-instrumental moments are what allow us to restore. They create the mental white space where energy regenerates.

If you’re a giver… listen up

Some of us find joy in doing for others. We thrive on it. But even then, we need to refuel. We can’t pour from an empty cup – and it’s not noble to run on fumes.

Ask yourself:

• What small, restorative act have I done for myself this week?

• What would feel joyful, not productive, not useful, just joyful?

• What are the tiny moments I can incorporate to lighten the load?