Do You Know Your Body Operates Like a Financial Budget?

Posted on August 09, 2025 by Sudhir R, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

This concept, known as the “body budget,” was introduced by neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett.

Let’s Understand the Concept of Body Budget

Your body budget refers to how your brain regulates resources like water, glucose, and salt to meet your body’s needs. Every action you take—whether it’s physical activity, learning, or experiencing emotions—acts as a withdrawal or a deposit in this system.

When withdrawals exceed deposits, your body budget becomes unbalanced. This imbalance can lead to fatigue, stress, and various health issues. Our brains don’t differentiate between mental and physical withdrawals. To our brains, both physical activities—like working long hours or running a marathon—and mental stressors—such as fear and anxiety—are all withdrawals from the same system.

When we make too many withdrawals without enough deposits, negative outcomes may arise, such as:
Low energy and fatigue

Increased stress and anxiety

Depression

Difficulty managing emotions

Lower resilience

Feeling overwhelmed

Pain

It’s important to note that chronic imbalance, which persists over time, can lead to severe issues like illness, chronic inflammation, chronic pain, and depression.
Body Budget and Human Performance

We can’t argue with the fact that our behavior produces our results. But below the surface, we have a complex interplay of thinking, feeling, emotions, and physiology. In this visual representation, our physiology serves as the foundation—a key driver of our overall performance.

Our physiology influences our emotions, which in turn impacts our feelings, thinking, behavior, and ultimately our results. Therefore, maintaining good physiological health is crucial for a successful life.

Let’s Talk About the Four Pillars of a Balanced Body Budget

1. Nutrition

Consuming a balanced diet is essential to replenishing necessary nutrients and keeping energy levels stable. Regular meals and proper hydration act as deposits in your body budget, while poor dietary choices lead to withdrawals.

Research shows that a healthy diet can slow cognitive aging and memory decline. In fact, following a healthy diet long term can significantly improve cognitive function by up to 7.5 years. This is a remarkable increase in cognitive longevity.

The gut-brain connection is vital; they influence each other. Therefore, maintaining good digestive health enhances psychological well-being, and vice versa. Proper hydration is critical for optimal brain and body functioning. Drinking water should always be your first choice of fluid. A good guideline is to drink 300 ml for every 10 kg of body weight, or about 10 fl oz for every 22 lb.

Healthy diets typically share these features:

Low in sugar and processed foods

High in vegetables, especially leafy greens

Includes some protein, whether from meat, fish, or plant-based sources

2. Good Quality Sleep
Quality sleep is crucial for restoring your body’s energy reserves. Chronic sleep deprivation leads to continuous withdrawals, hurting cognitive function and emotional regulation. Sleep significantly contributes to learning and memory and is essential for maintaining various brain systems.

Conversely, lack of sleep results in cognitive deficits and emotional regulation problems. As ‘sleep debt’ builds, your performance continues to decline. It’s worth noting that you can’t make up for missed sleep by sleeping longer the next day. However, many will be relieved to learn that a brief afternoon nap can help mitigate cognitive deficits from a lack of sleep, enhancing learning and memory.

3. Physical Activity
Regular exercise serves as a key deposit in your body budget, strengthening your body and uplifting your mood. However, overexertion without proper rest may lead to excessive withdrawals.

Studies show that engaging in regular physical activity can yield impressive results:

Improved learning and memory

Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety

Delayed cognitive decline
It is recommended for adults to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, including muscle-strengthening exercises twice weekly. This could encompass a variety of activities, from walking and yoga to intense workouts like running or cycling.

4. Stress Management
Chronic stress can deplete your body budget by persistently activating energy-draining processes. Elements like stress, fear, and worry act as mental withdrawals, negatively impacting overall well-being. To add deposits, consider:

Mindfulness and meditation

Engaging in hobbies or social events

Spending time outdoors

Practical Tips to Balance Your Body Budget

Here are some actionable steps to help manage your body budget effectively:

Mind Your Diet: Choose whole foods rich in nutrients for sustained energy.

Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.

Exercise Regularly: Incorporate moderate physical activities like walking or yoga to boost energy and mood.
Manage Stress: Utilize relaxation techniques and set aside time for enjoyable activities
By consciously managing these four pillars, you can maintain a balanced body budget. A well-balanced body budget leads to better health, improved mood, and greater resilience in daily life.

All rights reserved by The Neuroscience School and Dr. Irena O’Brien.