I love what I do

Coaching CEOs and senior leaders on how to grow themselves as they grow their businesses is one of the great privileges of my life.

And I love it so much that sometimes I forget to take a break.

Yesterday was one of those days.
A full day of meaningful conversations where I felt completely immersed.
By 4pm I was energised and ready to keep going well into the night.

But somewhere in the back of my mind a small voice said, slow down.
If you want to show up at your best tomorrow, pause now.

So I closed the laptop and headed to the beach.

It was the perfect summer evening.
The smell of the sea, the Atlantic crashing in its dramatic way, people chatting and laughing, and one of those radiant Cape Town sunsets that stops you in your tracks.

I woke up this morning rested and clear headed.
I could feel the difference in the way I listened, the way I was present, and the way my mind settled around the work.

It reminded me of a pattern I see often in my coaching practice.
Many founders and senior leaders believe they can outrun the pressure by pushing harder.
They think resilience is about endurance when in fact the research shows the opposite.

Studies from Harvard and Berkeley suggest that chronic overwork reduces cognitive capacity, narrows attention and lowers creativity.
The very things leaders rely on most.

Neuroscience tells us that rest is not indulgence. It is the mechanism that restores emotional regulation and strategic thinking.
Psychologists call it recovery.
Leaders often call it something they will get to later.

But later rarely comes.

So here are a few small, practical things I encourage my clients to experiment with:

Create micro breaks.
Even five minutes between meetings resets your nervous system.

Build a sustainable rhythm.
Aim for effort followed by rest, not effort followed by more effort.

Protect one thing each day that nourishes you.
A walk, a swim, a quiet coffee, a gym session.
The activity matters less than the consistency.

Share the load.
Delegation is not a sign of weakness.
It is the oxygen that allows a team to grow.

And most importantly, pay attention to the early signs of depletion.
I often tell clients that burnout rarely announces itself.
It starts with small lapses in presence, shortness of temper and difficulty focusing.

Which takes me back to yesterday.
Closing the laptop and heading to the beach felt small in the moment, but it was a reminder that the quality of my work depends on the quality of my energy.

The same is true for every leader.
You cannot take care of your people if you are running on fumes.

Rest is not a reward. It is part of the job.