🌍 Some of my best work thinking doesn’t happen at a desk… It happens between conversations, countries, and th

This recent European trip was a rare blend.

Client conversations. Deep thinking. And real, unhurried family time.

Not balance in the neat, Instagram sense…the messy human non-linear integration.

Many leaders still see travel, connection, and rest as a pause from performance.

Something to be “earned” after the work is done. But in reality, these moments are often what restore the very systems that allow us to lead well in the first place.

Peer-reviewed research consistently shows that:

• Psychological detachment from work is associated with improved wellbeing, reduced burnout, and better cognitive performance (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015 - https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-17347-001)

• Social connection and close relationships are associated with lower all-cause mortality and improved stress regulation (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20668659/).

• Exposure to novel environments supports cognitive flexibility, creativity, and perspective taking, particularly when paired with physical movement and lower time pressure (Atchley et al., 2012- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051474).

None of this requires extreme interventions.

It just requires space…and intention. Recharging isn’t passive.

It can look like:

• Long walks and unstructured movement 🚶‍♂️

• Deep conversations without an agenda ☕

• Laughter that genuinely down-regulates the nervous system 😂

These aren’t indulgences, they’re performance levers.

As we start 2026 in earnest, I feel clearer, more rounded and genuinely energised.

Not because I did less. But because I did what actually restores capacity to think, lead, and connect well.

Sustainable performance has a human rhythm and ignoring it always comes at a cost.