Your Brain at Work

This audio summary is a gentle guide to staying effective when work feels heavy and mentally demanding. It explores a practical truth many people learn the hard way: mental effort drains energy differently than physical effort, and productivity often improves when the brain feels safe, supported, and well-fueled.

Across seven chapters, it offers simple, workable approaches—planning around peak energy, capturing ideas before they vanish, reducing distractions, practicing mindfulness, strengthening social connection at work, and understanding how status threats shape behavior. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s a calmer, clearer way of working with the brain instead of against it.

• People feeling overloaded at work, especially after a promotion or increase in responsibility
• Team leads and managers who want to improve trust, focus, and emotional safety in their teams
• Anyone who wants simple routines for reducing distractions and protecting mental energy

This narration is based on the provided chapter content and includes quotations attributed in the text to David Rock. It presents the ideas as an accessible workplace-focused explanation of how brain-based needs—energy, focus, safety, and social connection—shape performance.