Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Hidden Advantage in Mental Health

What it is, why it matters, and how anyone can use it

In the world of burnout, overwhelm , and back-to-back calendars, there’s one word we should hear more in start-up and workplace circles: neuroplasticity.

Sounds like a neuroscience thesis. But it’s really simple:

Your brain is constantly rewiring itself. That can either work for you—or against you.

In Episode 2 of The Underdog, we sat down with Christy Lamka—COO of Thrive360, trained in biochemistry and neuroplasticity—to break down what that means in real life, real work, and real burnout.

Here’s what we uncovered.

Burnout Isn’t Just Exhaustion. It’s Rewiring Gone Wrong

We tend to think burnout is just a bad day—or a string of them. But science tells us it’s much deeper.

According to Christy:

“Neuroplasticity works both ways. You can build new patterns—but you can also reinforce the bad ones if nothing changes.”

Translation? Every time you normalize:

• Skipping breaks,

• Powering through when you’re drained,

• Celebrating exhaustion as a win,

  
  

…you’re teaching your brain that this is the new baseline.

Burnout becomes more than a phase—it becomes your default wiring.

In fact, let’s break down what burnout is. Christy explains:

“People confuse stress with burnout all the time. But they’re not the same thing.”

Burnout has three research-backed markers:

• Depersonalization / Cynicism – You’re short-tempered, checked out, or constantly irritated.

• Exhaustion – You’re not just tired, but mentally and physically drained, even after small tasks.

• Lack of Effectiveness – You’re working hard, but nothing feels like it’s moving the needle.

You don’t need all three to be burned out—but if more than one’s showing up, pay attention.

A 2025 survey by Sifted shows 54% of founders experienced burnout in the past 12 months; 46% of founders said their mental health has been ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’; while 75% said they’d had anxiety in the same period.

Awareness First. Action Second.

Want to rewire? First, observe.

“You can’t fix what you can’t see.” — Christy

Neuroscience backs it. The Journal of Clinical Psychology notes that cognitive restructuring (aka changing how you think) only works once you’ve built metacognition—awareness of your own patterns .

Start with this:

• What are my values and drivers?

• What beliefs are keeping me stuck in overdrive?

• What habits feel ‘normal’ but drain me fast?

• What one thing this week would feel nourishing?

Once you notice the loop, you can change the loop.

Sleep, good nutrition, movement—those are the basics. Non-negotiables. But recovery from burnout goes one step further: you need to build new patterns, not just break old ones.

Here’s what that looks like, straight from Christy’s burnout recovery toolbox: 

1.       Do an Energy Audit

“You need to know what depletes you—and what fills you back up.”

Write it down. Patterns become clear when you track them.

2.      Be Realistic with Your Capacity

Christy suggests planning your workload by the week, not the day. Build space. Make room for the unexpected. Don’t try to win every day—just aim to finish the week in one piece.

3.      Create Micro-Margins

Don’t save rest for your PTO. Integrate restoration into your work system. That could mean:

o   10 mins between meetings to decompress

o   1 blocked hour a week just for deep work

o   Saying “not this week” more often

4.      Fill Your Cup—Outside of Work

“The thing you use to reset should activate a different part of your brain,” Christy said. That means flying drones, watching bad reality TV, learning guitar—whatever’s yours. Not another productivity app. Not another course. Something unrelated. Unpressured. Yours.

Burnout Isn’t a Flaw. It’s a Feedback Loop.

This isn’t about being broken. It’s about your system giving you a signal.

“If you take a sabbatical and come back to the same environment, you’ll just burn out again—faster,” Christy warned.

Why? Because your brain has learned how to survive in burnout mode.

That’s the downside of neuroplasticity: it will adapt to dysfunction just as easily as it will to growth.

The upside? You can reroute it. But you have to do it on purpose.

Christy recommends:

• Changing your environment (even small tweaks matter)

• Reinforcing new habits (daily, not yearly)

• Staying aware of old patterns (they love to sneak back in)

Recognize. Rewire. Repeat

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means your brain adapted to survive. The good news? You can teach it something new.

Here’s what we’re taking away:

·       Burnout isn’t permanent.

·       Habits aren’t fixed.

·       And no matter how deep the trench—you can rewire your way out.

But only if you catch the loop and choose differently. Recovery isn’t just about rest—it’s about reprogramming how you work, live, and lead. That’s the gift.

Now go use it.

ABOUT  CHRISTY

Christy Lamka is the cofounder and COO of Thrive360. With a background in biochemistry and neuroplasticity, she blends science and tech to design scalable, clinically backed wellbeing solutions.

At Thrive360, she helps organizations support their people’s mental health and performance—without compromising either.

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References & Further Reading

1. Harvard Business Review on - Burnout Is About Your Workplace, Not Your People

2. Harvard Business Review on - What Makes Entrepreneurs Burn Out

3. Neuroplasticity & Mental Health Research - Neuroplasticity and Clinical Practice: Building Brain Power for Health - PMC

4. Thrive360 – https://www.thrive360.com

5. The Power of Neuroplasticity – Dr. Caroline Leaf - https://drleaf.com

6. Sifted on Founders Mental Health - More than half of founders experienced burnout last year | Sifted