The Body Budget: Why It Matters for You and Your Team
In this post I’m going to share a framework for maintaining a healthy body and mind called the body budget, a concept introduced by neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett.
Just like a financial budget, your body tracks its "debits and credits" in resources such as glucose, salt, water, information processing time, and other vital assets that keep you functioning at your best. When you stay hydrated, move regularly, sleep well, eat nutritious foods, and take breaks, you maintain a healthy balance.
But in meeting-heavy work cultures, where administrative tasks pile up and back-to-back meetings leave no room to breathe, most of us operate at a constant deficit.
Add in long hours at a desk, little movement, unhealthy snacks, and the constant attempt to multitask, and it’s no wonder people feel drained. The good news? Organizations can take simple steps to help employees restore their body budgets—unlocking greater creativity, innovation, and productivity.
How Leaders Can Support Their Teams’ Body Budgets
1. Honor the 10-minute buffer rule
Many leaders set meetings to end at 20 or 50 minutes, allowing a 10-minute break. But let’s be honest—these buffers often disappear in the rush to cover “just one more thing.”
📌 As a leader, enforce the buffers. They give your team a chance to recharge, reset, and show up fully engaged to the next meeting. By enforcing these short breaks, you reduce overload building in time to process and reset between meetings.
2. Encourage movement—even in small doses
What’s good for the body is good for the brain. While a 60-90 minute workout may not fit into the workday, a 20-minute walk, some stretching, or even chair yoga can boost cognitive function and energy levels.
📌 Make movement a priority. Encourage your team to step away from their desks—even a short break can make a big difference.
3. Provide brain-friendly nutrition
If your team works in an office, they may have access to food—but is it fueling their performance? Sugary snacks lead to energy crashes, while nutrient-rich foods enhance focus and productivity.
📌 If you're a remote-first company, consider creative ways to support healthy eating. Could you offer snack stipends or partner with meal delivery services? Investing in your team’s nutrition is an investment in their performance.
4. Reduce cognitive overload
Multitasking isn’t real. Our brains can only focus on one thing at a time—yet most employees juggle meetings, emails, chats, and mental to-do lists all at once. This constant context-switching is exhausting.
📌 Try this simple shift: Start meetings with a moment of silence instead of jumping straight into conversation. Even a brief pause helps reset the mind and restore focus.
5. Make meaningful work a priority
Ever noticed how time flies when you’re deeply engaged in something you love? That’s because work that aligns with your strengths refuels your body budget.
📌 Leaders, ask yourselves: Are your employees buried in admin work, or are they using their skills in ways that excite and energize them? To drive innovation, people need to do work that matters to them.
The Role of Self-Advocacy
Ultimately, your body budget is your responsibility. If you’re feeling depleted, it’s important to speak up—whether that means requesting more time for deep work, adjusting your workload, or taking care of personal needs.
💡 Protecting your energy isn’t selfish—it’s essential. When you’re running on empty, you can’t perform at your best. Advocate for what you need, and encourage your team to do the same.
By making small, intentional changes, we can create workplaces where people don’t just survive—they thrive.
You can explore the topic of body budgeting in detail here. And, if you need help to ensure your team runs as smoothly as it can, get in touch.
