NeuroReal Series: Episode 5: You Can’t Include on Empty: Why Your Workplace Needs Sleep, Snacks & Serotonin
- Georgina Brown (hershe)
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest: no one feels their most inclusive when they’re running on four hours of sleep, a packet of crisps, and 17 passive-aggressive emails.
Inclusion takes energy — literal, biological energy.
And if we’re not fuelling the brain properly, we’re not just tired. We’re wired against empathy, collaboration, and fairness.
Let’s unpack why.
The Brain on Empty
We like to think of inclusion as a moral choice. But neuroscience shows it’s also a biological capacity, one that rises and falls with our internal chemistry.
When we’re low on:
Dopamine (motivation, curiosity)
Serotonin (mood regulation, impulse control)
Sleep (memory, empathy, emotional regulation)
...our brain prioritises survival. And survival-mode brains don’t do nuance. They do shortcuts, defensiveness, reactivity, and threat detection.
You know — the exact opposite of inclusion.
Sleep: Your Overnight Inclusivity Reset
Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep, has shown that sleep deprivation reduces empathy and increases the likelihood of prejudice. In one study, sleep-deprived participants showed reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for emotional regulation, reasoning, and impulse control.
Translation? Tired brains are more biased. Less self-aware. More reactive.
Want a more inclusive culture? Start by letting people rest.
Food & Mood: The Gut-Brain Connection
Your brain is greedy. It uses around 20% of your body’s total energy — and it notices when it’s not being fed well.
Low blood sugar? Cue irritability and poor impulse control. Skipped lunch? Say hello to cortisol spikes. Not enough magnesium, B-vitamins or amino acids? Dopamine and serotonin take a hit, making you more likely to snap, withdraw, or catastrophise.
This is the neuroscience behind the office “hangry” epidemic. And it’s why real inclusion needs real snacks.
(Also: caffeine is not a meal. Just saying.)
Dopamine: The Drive Chemical
Dopamine isn’t just about reward — it’s about motivation, curiosity, and the will to engage. When dopamine is balanced, you seek out new perspectives. You’re open to ideas. You lean in.
When it’s depleted? You shut down. You avoid challenge. You default to what’s easy and familiar.
That’s not laziness — it’s neurochemistry.
And it’s why inclusive behaviour isn’t just a mindset issue. It’s a neurochemical one.
What the NIMM Builds In
The NeuroInclusive Maturity Model (NIMM) bakes wellbeing into inclusion. Not as an afterthought — as a foundation.
We use tools and nudges that support:
Cognitive resilience through reflection and rest
Regulated team dynamics with safety rituals
Neurochemical balance by making space for habits that restore dopamine and serotonin
We don’t just talk about inclusion. We build the conditions that make it biologically easier.
Three NeuroNudges for Recharging Inclusion
1. The 90-Minute Rule
Work in focused 90-minute cycles, then break. That’s how your brain’s ultradian rhythm works best. Productivity and empathy improve with breaks.
2. Snack & Learn
In meetings, offer actual food. Brains that are fed engage better. Bonus: it sets a tone of care and connection — oxytocin, anyone?
3. Permission to Pause
End meetings 10 minutes early. Create buffer zones between tasks. Let the brain transition. Inclusion needs mental availability, not just physical presence.
Final Word
If your people are burned out, buzzed on cortisol, and biologically stuck in survival mode — no amount of inclusive language or policies will stick.
Inclusion starts with fuel. With sleep. With serotonin.
Because you can’t include on empty.
Next in the NeuroReal series: Episode 6: “The Brain Hears More Than You Say” — How to Build Safer Neural Circuits Through Inclusive Language.
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