Ever wondered why managing time and energy feels like an uphill battle? We’re all taught to do this BACKWARD: prioritizing your schedule OVER your actual energy. This post is helping you flip the script so you can align better, recover faster from disruptions, and get back into flow state asap.
If you’ve ever fought your way through exhaustion, distractions, and emotional chaos then you KNOW how draining it feels. If you’re an overthinker & overachiever like us, you’ve probably tried every trick in the book to prevent shit from happening. But what if it’s not YOUR fault that schedule is thrown out of the window? Life throws curveballs! Disruptions happen, whether it’s a toddler meltdown, a fight with your partner, or just an overwhelming sense of ‘ugghh‘.
Instead of swimming upstream by forcing yourself through it, this post will show you how to ride the current of disruptions by managing your energy first, so your time works for you. We’re going to explore how managing time AROUND your energy makes all the difference. You’ll learn how to align with the four types of energy: mental, physical, emotional & spiritual, and how to recover quickly from life’s inevitable disruptions.
After you’ve learned managing time and energy the organic way, you’ll feel more in control of your day & life and become more and more resilient. No more battling uphill or running on empty! You’ll flow through your tasks with clarity and confidence, knowing you have the tools to handle disruptions and still come out on top.
This post is all about managing time and energy the organic way; so you can stop fighting your schedule and start flowing through it.
Managing Time And Energy
I know we’re all pretty heavily indoctrinated by now, thinking that squeezing productivity out of every minute will make you a successful or good person. However, this is very often at the cost of our SELVES. Real healthy & aligned time management is about working with yourself, instead of against ourselves. And this applies to life too! You work WITH LIFE, not against it.
Funnily enough, we’re taught this completely backward, no matter if it’s in Western Society, the workplace, or the educational system. We’re told to push through disruptions, ignore our private lives (no matter if it’s going up in smoke), suppress emotions, and stick to the plan ‘NO MATTER WHAT‘. If you don’t: you’re weak and a quitter. Great.
But let’s keep this in mind: the more you address the disruptions, aka, deal with it (and the least you resist them), the faster they lose their power over you and your schedule.
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Energy management is the actual key to bouncing back and hitting your flow state, even when life throws you curveballs. When you address the energy that’s most drained, you can recover waayyy faster than you had anticipated. Productivity & time management are not supposed to be about ignoring life’s curveballs. In fact, it’s quite dysfunctional to be in straight denial about something that is truly bothering you. So. Instead, I would like you to consider dealing with the pain first. When you address the thing that disrupted you, deal with it fully, and then get back to where you were, you stay in control.
Let’s explore how we can work WITH LIFE & its disruptions. It starts by understanding the four types of energy you’re working with. And, what to pay attention to so you can balance all four of them. Let’s dive in!
Introducing The Four Energies
When we talk about energy management, it’s not just about how caffeinated you are. Nor is it about how many hours of sleep you clocked in last night (although those help). Energy is fundamental to everything around and inside us, it’s multi-dimensional, and it affects everything you do. Think of it like the four legs of your average table. If one leg is wobbly, the whole thing is unstable. Ever felt unstable? Yeah.
Each type of energy serves a unique purpose and has to be balanced out by the others. Mental energy powers your focus and decision-making. Physical energy fuels your body to get through the day. Emotional energy affects how you handle relationships & stress. And spiritual energy? That’s your sense of purpose: the WHY behind everything you do.
A key component of managing time and energy effectively is knowing which energy type is running low, and addressing it before it spills over into everything else. Once you understand how these four energies work together, you’ll be able to spot disruptions early and make a game plan to recover quickly and get back into flow. Please keep reminding yourself when you start managing your energy, that it’s about working with yourself, with life, and not against them.
Mental Energy: Your Thinking Power
Mental energy is the currency of your focus. It’s what powers your decision-making, problem-solving and ability to tackle everything on your plate. Unfortunately for us overachievers, this resource is limited. Every choice, task or distraction chips away at it, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Ever noticed how you can make sharp, clear-headed, and confident decisions in the morning, but feel totally fried by 3 PM, struggling to finish your workday, dreading what to do for dinner? That’s decision fatigue: a sign your mental energy is running on empty. And let’s not even get started on the mental chaos that disruptions bring! One curveball of your partner fighting you about misplaced keys, and suddenly, you’re using your brain to juggle stress instead of staying focused.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR MENTAL ENERGY
The key to managing your mental energy isn’t about trying harder; it’s about working more strategically. Time management tells you WHEN to do things. Energy management asks, “Do I have the capacity to handle this right now“? And when disruptions strike, it’s the latter that truly matters. You NEED to address the cause of your drain before you can rely on your mental energy again. For instance, when you write out your emotions about your fight, you clear up space for concentration to come back in. To make energy management a habit, we need to set up a system to work in. The key ingredients for this ‘working more strategically‘ are building a system where you can keep removing friction, reduce decisions & offload mental clutter.
- USE SYSTEMS TO STAY ORGANISED
Your brain is not wired to hold onto every little task or thought. It’s a problem-solving machine, not a STORAGE UNIT! To protect your mind, you need to offload that mental clutter and rely on a trusted system like Obsidian for your thoughts, and Google Calendar and Todoist for your to-do’s. Of course, any other system would work too as long as it’s tailored to you! But these tools don’t just keep your schedule on track: they’re flexible enough to adapt as soon as shit hits the van, and they’re extremely easily accessible so you can free up that mental headspace. This way you can focus on any disruptions coming your way, tackling them first and bouncing your calendar blocks ahead when you’ve ‘put out the fire’. - BATCH TASKS & BLOCK TIME
Stop switching gears every five minutes. You need to learn how to say no, and how to set boundaries. Do not allow it when you can prevent it! Instead, group similar tasks together and block out time to tackle them all in one go. This makes you feel so good & empowered, and get’s your shit done way more efficiently. It reduces the cognitive load of constant context-switching, which drains your mental energy FAST. - PRIORITIZE YOUR BARE MINIMUM LIST ABOVE NON-ESSENTIALS
Your bare minimum list is all about identifying the essentials for having things under control: pay the rent, pick up the kids from school. They’re non-negotiable tasks you NEED to do to get through your day in one piece. Think of this as your safety net: the absolute must-dos that keep your life from spiraling into chaos when disruptions hit. Everything else depends on your situation: if you have a great day, go all in on your overachiever. But if you’re day is shit, bounce the non-essentials to another moment when you have more pep in your step. Be kind to yourself. Your mental energy needs it.
When your mental energy is clear, your whole day runs smoother, because YOU feel clear-headed. Staying clear & organized isn’t just about having good intentions, it’s about having the right tools. That’s where our time management strategy comes in! It’s not just a system for organizing your day; it’s a strategy for protecting your mental energy. If you’re ready for a big lifestyle upgrade, we really advice trying out this game changer:
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Physical Energy: The Foundation Of Focus
Ahhh the body. Energy from this aspect of your life is the fuel that powers everything you do. It’s your stamina, strength and ability to move through your day without feeling like you’re dragging a boulder on your back. Sleep, nutrition, hydration and exercise are the primary drivers for this energy, but let’s be real: life doesn’t always play nice with your body.
Disruptions like sleepless nights, skipped meals, or too much caffeine (we’ve all been there) can wreak havoc on your physical energy levels. Even seemingly small stressors, like sitting at your desk for HOURS without moving, can compound over time, leaving you feeling like a sluggish version of yourself. When you’re able to identify this energydrop early, you give yourself stronger chances of getting to your goals without crashing. Listen to your body & trust it’s intuitions.
how to protect your physical energy
- PRIORITIZE SLEEP LIKE IT’S YOUR SECRET WEAPON
Sleep isn’t just lost time; it’s your body’s way of recharging your battery and cleaning up your brain. Small upgrades to your life, like setting up a regular bedtime, keeping your room cool and dark & having comfy sheets can provide more physical energy than you will give credit to! However, it’s proven over and over again that better sleeping conditions also make you FEEL better. Wirth experimentation! - MAKE HYDRATION & NUTRITION NON-NEGOTIABLE
I know this is extremely boring advice… But! Next time when you feel sluggishness after haven’t moved for ages, try a bottle of water, and be surprised how grateful your body will vibe! Every time you feel depleted, it’s worth experimenting with this category too; they’re relatively easy fixes for a low energy and low mood. So give it a go & see what happens! - MOVE, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT
You know that moment when you feel like your power is starting fade out? Well, just walk out you’re freaking door and be back in 20 minutes. That’s it. I know it sucks, I never want to do it either, but seriously, every time I do I’m happy I did it and slay harder than before. Especially the lunchbreak combination of taking walks outside + taking a power nap serves me wonders! ALWAYS WORKS! It’s the swing factor between having a kick ass productive afternoon & scraping by to make it to the end.
Emotional Energy: The Invisible Drain
Emotional energy is your capacity to handle relationships, stress, and all the messy feelings that come with being human. It’s the quiet undercurrent that dictates how you show up for yourself and others. When emotional energy runs low, it’s like trying to navigate a storm with a broken compass: everything feels overwhelming.
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Disruptions hit emotional energy the hardest. A fight with your partner, a tough conversation with your boss, or even an unexpected bill can completely derail your focus. The thing is, emotional turmoil isn’t just inconvenient: it directly impacts your ability to concentrate. If you decide to bulldoze through your anger or sadness instead of addressing it, you’re hellbound for half-assing your work and wasting your energy! Again, keep this in mind, mostly for your emotional energy: the more you address disruptions, the more you deal with whatever shit derailed you, the faster they go away! Work with yourself, with life, not against it!
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EMOTIONAL ENERGY
- SOLVE THE PROBLEM, DON’T SUPPRESS IT
If something is bothering you, like that fight with your partner or child, DEAL WITH IT FIRST. Having that tough but necessary conversation clears your head way faster than pretending everything’s fine. If you can’t talk right now, do it in your head and write it out. Once you’ve resolved the issue, your focus will return like magic. I’m serious. Get it out of the way ASAP. Once you prioritize the energy management over the time management here, you’ll save. SO. MUCH. TIME. (And energy for that matter) - SCHEDULE LAZINESS CALENDAR BLOCKS WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING ON EMPTY
Self-care isn’t some fancy buzzword to make you feel like crap when you’re grinding hard. It’s a core practice to be able to keep going. Last week I was completely drained and wondering about what could revive my spirits. It’s funny when you ask yourself this question: it always comes up with something cheezy and greasy. But hey, that’s what did it! McDonald’s Big Tasty Bacon, Tangled & the whole family in bed. It wasn’t about being productive: it was about sprinkling glitter and confetti over my soul, and addressing the depletion FIRST. Find what uplifts you, even if it’s a little silly or indulgent. It works wonders in times of exhaustion! - LET YOURSELF FEEL THINGS OUT
Another, let’s work WITH life instead of against it, coming right up: Pretending emotions don’t exist, or admitting the situation you’re in isn’t shit, does NOT make them go away. Boy, would life be awesome if we could do that tho! Unfortunately, often we need to feel things out. You can talk to friends, journal it out of your system, do some emotional homework, or even cry in the shower or sing your favorite anger management songs if you need to. BUT. Permit yourself to feel, because it will make it wayyy easier to move on, and get back into clear waters. Take your emotional energy seriously. It can feel very vulnerable to start working with it, but it will make your life aligned & whole, compared to cutting your emotional experiences out of your days.
Spiritual Energy: Your North Star In Chaos
There is a ‘why’ behind everything you do, and if you don’t have it, chances are you have an existential crisis or a depression going on. We humans require a sense of purpose, meaning and connection to something greater than ourselves. We need a place in the world and a feeling of belonging to something. When this energy is strong, you feel aligned, motivated, and resilient. When it’s low, everything feels like a slog, and even small tasks can feel pointless.
Disruptions often make spiritual energy wobble. A big life change, a mental breakdown, or ‘just’ a sense of feeling lost can leave you questioning why you’re even bothering. And here’s the thing: if you’re out of touch with your ‘why’, no to-do list in the world is going to fix that.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY
- REVISIT OR FIND YOUR PURPOSE AND SENSE OF BELONGING
This can not be tackled on a ‘Monday afternoon’, but NEEDS to be addressed anyway. Yes, it will suck, yes it will be unclear at first, and yes it will be a long-term endeavor. But; once it’s there, it’ll make you STROOOONGGGG. Man! No comparison to having no sense of belonging. Answer for yourself: why are you here & what makes your life WORTH living. Whether it’s providing for your family, chasing your dreams or even contributing to something bigger, connecting to a sense of purpose and belonging fuels your drive. When life gets chaotic, this will be your North Star. - FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGS IN YOUR LIFE
I know gratitude is a bit outworn today, and I take issue with that word myself. However, that doesn’t mean that the clichés aren’t true. Focusing on good things, actually makes situations better. Simple concept, hard freaking practice. I must also say, if life is down in the dumps, this practice will not work, and only make you feel emptier. So, take it with a grain of salt, and feel out if it’s the right moment. But at least TRY. - REFRAME THE SHIT IN YOUR LIFE INTO ‘LESSONS LEARNED’
When you try to find a silver lining in most of the shit that happens to you, you inevitably GROW. And growth to your spirit is like water to the plants. Reframing is a skill, and once you’ve learned how to reframe the most horrid moments of your life into ‘turning points in your personal history’, your pain is rewarded with purpose. It got you to where you are now, and you can have peace despite the traumatic events. Extremely powerful. Amor Fati baby.
Managing Time And Energy Is About Making Space for Humanity in Productivity
Time management isn’t supposed to be about squeezing every drop of output from yourself. It’s about honoring your humanity: your need for rest, connection and purpose, while navigating life’s disruptions. Remember that time management isn’t about ignoring life’s curveballs. It’s about handling them with grace, clarity and control.
With a solid grasp on the four energies, you’ll find yourself bouncing back faster, staying resilient longer and flowing through your day with confidence. Because when you manage your energy, your time works for you. Not the other way around.
This post was all about managing time and energy the organic way; so you can stop fighting your schedule and start flowing through it.
We aim to help you out as much as possible, but please keep in mind that the content is for general informational and educational purposes only. It's not a substitute for professional advice.
