If you’ve ever felt like you’re juggling a million things—kids, work, staying healthy, trying to look good while doing it all—and still wondering, “Why do I feel like I’m behind?”—you’re not alone.
The truth is: we’ve been sold a lie.
We’ve been taught to equate busyness with productivity. But doing more doesn’t mean you’re doing better. And grinding harder doesn’t mean you’re growing.
In my new book, Move. Think. Rest., I argue that we don’t need more hustle—we need more flow. We need to redefine productivity for the world we’re actually living and working in. Below, I unpack six key shifts that can help you move from burnout to breakthrough.
1. We’re All Burnt Out. So How Do We Do Less, Better?
Let’s start here: emotional recovery is the new productivity.
We’ve conflated grinding with growth, and it’s not working. Doing less, better starts with permission—permission to pause, reflect, and refuel. Hustle culture tells us to push through. But creativity doesn’t emerge from exhaustion—it comes from spaciousness.
Start asking: What actually moves the needle? Do that—and let the rest go.
2. You Say We Need to Rethink Productivity. How?
By shifting from extraction to cultivation.
We have to stop treating ourselves like machines and start acting like gardeners. Cultivation takes time, intention, and care. It’s about nurturing ideas, energy, and relationships—not grinding them down.
This is what I call the “both/and” model: You can be productive and spacious. You can move fast and be thoughtful. That’s the cultivation mindset.
3. You Talk About Movement. How Does That Help Us—and How Do We Fit It In?
Movement is thinking in motion.
When we walk, stretch, or dance, we activate different parts of the brain—and that physical momentum unlocks mental clarity and creative connections.
You don’t need a gym. Build movement hygiene into your day:
- Take a walking meeting
- Stretch between Zooms
- Stand up when you brainstorm
Your body was designed to move. And when you move your body, you move your ideas.
4. You Say to Think—But How, When There’s No Time?
Thinking requires white space.
You can’t download clarity at 5G speed. We all need micro-moments for reflection—what I call “liminal space.” Even five minutes between meetings, in the shower, or during your commute can unlock insight.
Try this:
- On your next commute, skip the podcast. Let your mind wander.
- At the start of a meeting, try “questionstorming”: generate open-ended questions tied to your goal or agenda.
Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. (Just ask the Navy SEALs.)
5. You Say Resting Is a Strategic Advantage. Explain?
Rest is not a luxury—it’s a performance strategy.
When we rest, our brains tap into the default mode network—the mental backstage where we connect dots and solve problems subconsciously. Intermittent rest boosts focus, sharpens memory, and supports emotional recovery.
And the data backs it up:
- 71% of knowledge workers reported burnout in 2020
- Job stress costs U.S. companies $300 billion/year in absenteeism, turnover, and lower productivity
Rest is rocket fuel for rigor. Leaders who build in recovery outperform the ones who run on empty.
6. Let’s Talk About Time—Especially in the Age of AI.
AI runs on clock time. But humans thrive in creative time.
We need to shift from measuring time in minutes and metrics… to meaning and momentum. That means learning to move at the speed of thoughtfulness, not just efficiency.
The future of work isn’t about keeping up with machines. It’s about being more human:
More curious. More intuitive. More imaginative.
Creativity is our competitive advantage. Let’s start treating it that way.
Final Thought
Move. Think. Rest. isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about doing the right things—at the right rhythm—for the season you’re in.
Because when we stop grinding and start cultivating, we don’t just survive—we flourish.
Learn more about what it means to Move. Think. Rest. and join our 66-Day MTR challenge!
About Natalie
Dr. Natalie Nixon is the creativity whisperer to the C-suite, helping leaders make better business decisions through wonder and rigor. At Figure 8 Thinking, she’s a creativity strategist, global keynote speaker and author of the award winning The Creativity Leap and the upcoming book Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time.
Real Leaders named Natalie one of the Top 50 keynote speakers of 2022 and she’s been featured in Forbes and Fast Company. She received her BA from Vassar College, and her PhD from the University of Westminster. These days you can find her on the ballroom floor fine-tuning her cha-cha and foxtrot.
Follow Natalie on Instagram: @natwnixon.
