When was the last time you sat and did nothing? 🤔

Not scrolling. Not listening to a podcast. Not mentally running through your to-do list. Just... nothing.

If that question made you a little uncomfortable, you're not alone.

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The podcast that reminded me to rest 😌

I was listening to a recent episode of Planet Money titled "Vacations and why Americans take so little." It's worth a listen — the episode explores the forces behind why Americans get and use so little paid leave. It's a fascinating slice of recent world history, politics, and culture.

The reminder I took away was about rest — not just the two-week vacation kind, but all of it. 🏖️ The micro-break. ⏸️ The walk with no destination. 🚶🏽‍♀️ The long-weekend staycation. 🛋️ The sabbatical. 🗺️

We tend to think of rest as what we earn after working hard. But the research says something different.

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Your brain works better when you let it rest 🧠

Researchers at the University of Illinois found that short breaks can improve focus and productivity meaningfully. Without them, cognitive performance declines as the brain loses its ability to process information and concentrate efficiently.

Harvard Medical School research shows that stepping away from work helps reset cognitive energy, strengthen memory, and improve problem-solving and creativity. 💡

And neuroscientists have identified the default mode network (DMN) — a system of brain regions that drives spontaneous cognition and activates when you rest — as one of the most relevant players in how the brain supports the emergence of creative ideas.

Rest isn't a reward for finishing your work. It's part of how good work gets done. 💪

A break doesn't have to be long. It can be sixty seconds of stillness between meetings. It can be a long weekend. It can be a full sabbatical.

What matters is that you actually take it. ✅

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What this has to do with managers 🧐

Culture isn't built through policy. It's built through behavior. And as a manager, your behavior is always on display — whether or not you want it that way.

If you never take your vacation days, your team notices. If you send emails at 10pm, your team notices. If you eat lunch at your desk while answering work messages, your team notices. 👀

You can tell your team that rest matters, that they should use their PTO, that they don't need to respond on weekends. But if what you do is different, they will follow what you do.

Leaving a gap between stated values and modeled behavior — not just around rest, but everything — is one of the fastest ways to erode trust and breed quiet burnout. 🔥

If you want a team that takes rest seriously, you have to take it seriously first.

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🎯 Take this into your week: What are you modeling right now about rest and recovery? Is your behavior sending your intended message? 🪞

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TGA Coaching update 🌴

I'll be on vacation in June — practicing what I preach. Because of that, there will be no newsletter on June 17th. I'll be back in your inbox on July 1st. 🌿

In the meantime, I hope you find your own version of rest this summer — whatever that looks like for you. Your brain will thank you.

Hit reply and tell me — what does rest look like for you right now? I read every response. 💬

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Think of one manager in your life who could use a vacation right now. Forward this to them. 💙