When Insight Isn’t the Issue
Coaches often work with clients who are managing heavy cognitive loads. They’re thinking strategically, juggling competing demands, navigating uncertainty, and trying to show up effectively for their teams. They may not say they’re burned out, but they’re not at their best. They’re less focused, more reactive, or stretched too thin to think clearly. Often, they attribute this to mindset, motivation, or time pressure. But, there’s something more fundamental at play. What we’re seeing is a breakdown in the mind-body connection, where the system no longer has the internal resources to meet the external demand.
Energy Is Physiological
We tend to treat energy as something that comes from rest, sleep, or willpower. But at the biological level, energy is produced by mitochondria, the small organelles inside cells that convert oxygen and nutrients into usable fuel. What’s less commonly appreciated is that mitochondria are responsive to psychological and physiological signals. They don’t just respond to physical demands; they respond to stress, social disconnection, emotional load, and perceived threat. In this way, they represent a direct and literal link in the mind-body connection.
This connection is not abstract. It’s a system that can become depleted, and one that can be restored.
Mitochondria Reflect and Shape Our Mental and Emotional State
Research shows that chronic stress impairs mitochondrial function, reducing the energy available to the brain and other systems that support regulation and resilience. This can affect mood, cognitive flexibility, attention, and the ability to engage thoughtfully with others, all of which are essential to effective leadership and communication. Practices that support nervous system regulation, such as breathwork, mindfulness, quality sleep, movement, and even a sense of purpose, have been shown to improve mitochondrial efficiency, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.
This is why supporting nervous system regulation isn’t just a wellness add-on in coaching. It’s a core part of helping clients access clarity, composure, and presence under pressure.
A Broader Frame for Coaching
This has clear implications for coaching. When a client is struggling with follow-through, presence, or reactivity, we might instinctively focus on mindset or motivation. But sometimes, what’s needed is not a cognitive shift but an energetic one. Bringing awareness to what’s depleting the system and what might help restore it opens up new coaching pathways. We’re no longer just working at the level of thought. We’re working with the whole system, and in doing so, we honour the whole reality of the mind-body connection.
You Don’t Need to Be a Biologist
You don’t need to become an expert in mitochondrial biology to integrate this perspective. But, it helps to stay curious: What’s draining this client’s energy? What helps them restore it? Where might the system be underpowered, even if the mind is willing? Sometimes, the most effective intervention is not about pushing harder or reframing the problem. It’s about supporting the system to function better through nervous system regulation, physical replenishment, and intentional recovery. So the client can access the clarity, resilience, and self-leadership they already have.
Takeaways
Reference:
Picard, M. (2025). Mitochondria Are More Than Powerhouses - They’re the Motherboard of the Cell. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-mitochondria-are-more-like-a-motherboard-than-the-powerhouse-of-the-cell/