From Stressed to Blessed: Managing Energy, Not Just Time

You’ve tried every time management hack out there. The colour-coded planners, the endless to-do lists, the wake-up-at-5am productivity gurus who seem to function on nothing but black coffee and self-discipline. And yet, here you are—exhausted, stretched too thin, wondering why you’re still behind despite ticking off task after task.

The truth is, time management isn’t the answer. Because the problem isn’t how many hours you have—it’s how much energy you’re losing.

Time is a fixed resource, but energy? That’s something you can protect, restore, and manage. And once you do, everything changes.

Think about your phone. When the battery runs low, you don’t just keep opening apps and hoping for the best. You charge it. You close unnecessary tabs. You might even switch on low-power mode. But when your own energy is drained, what do you do? Push through? Take on even more? Ignore the warning signs and keep going until you hit burnout?

Despite what we’ve been led to believe, not all tasks demand the same energy. Answering emails isn’t the same as working on a passion project. Holding space for a friend in crisis takes far more out of you than folding laundry. Planning meals is different from painting a masterpiece. And yet, we treat them all the same, expecting ourselves to be endlessly available, productive, and switched on. No wonder we’re knackered.

Instead of asking, How long will this take?, start asking, How much energy will this cost me?

Before you can protect your energy, you need to know where it’s being spent. And if you’re constantly feeling drained, it’s not just because you’re "busy." It’s because there are hidden leaks.

Certain tasks, conversations, and commitments leave you running on empty. Some of them take up space in your mind long after they’re done, pulling you back into worry, frustration, or overthinking. And then there are the things that should be restful—like scrolling on your phone or watching TV—but actually make you feel worse.

On the flip side, there are things that fill you up. Activities that make you feel alive, even if they require effort. That sense of satisfaction from completing something you love, the deep exhale after a walk in the fresh air, the way creativity sparks something in you that nothing else can.

The problem isn’t that you have too much to do. It’s that you’re giving energy to the wrong things and not replenishing it where it matters most.

Some days, you wake up ready to take on the world. Other days, it’s a miracle if you manage to put on matching socks. That’s because energy isn’t static. It moves in waves. Instead of expecting yourself to be at full capacity all the time, the trick is working with your natural rhythms.

There are moments in the day when you’re naturally more focused, alert, and capable of tackling big things. These are the times to do the deep work—whether that’s writing, creating, strategising, or problem-solving. Other times, your energy dips, and this is when you should be handling lighter tasks, admin, or rest. But if you’re using those peak moments to do menial chores and spending your low-energy hours trying to force yourself to be productive, you’re setting yourself up for constant exhaustion.

It’s not about squeezing more in. It’s about doing the right things at the right time.

If someone walked up to you and took money straight out of your bank account, you’d be furious. But how often do you let people drain your energy without even realising it?

If you want to stop running on fumes, boundaries are non-negotiable. That means saying no—even when it feels uncomfortable. That means protecting your creative time like you would a doctor’s appointment. That means recognising that not every call, request, or invitation needs an immediate response.

You don’t have to be available to everyone at all times. You don’t have to fix every problem. You don’t have to say yes just because it’s expected. If something is depleting you, it’s not selfish to step back—it’s survival.

Most women think they need more rest, and they’re right. But rest isn’t just about getting more sleep—it’s about restoring the parts of you that have been depleted.

If your mind is constantly spinning, you need mental rest—time away from decisions, problem-solving, and overthinking. If you’ve been absorbing other people’s worries, you need emotional rest—space to just be without managing other people’s feelings. If you’re feeling creatively burnt out, you need a break from pressure and productivity, time to create purely for the joy of it. And if your body feels sluggish, it’s not always about doing less—it might be about moving in ways that actually make you feel good.

True rest is intentional. It’s not zoning out in front of the TV while still worrying about the next day’s to-do list. It’s about choosing activities that actually restore you, not just distract you.

Right about now, you might be coming up with a dozen reasons why this won’t work for you. Let’s deal with those now.

You don’t have time? You don’t have time to burn out, either. You feel guilty about putting yourself first? You’ve spent years giving to everyone else—it’s not selfish, it’s necessary. You’ll rest when things slow down? They won’t. You have to create the pause.

Reading this is nice. Nodding along, thinking “That’s so true” is nice. But nothing changes unless you actually do something.

So here’s the challenge: what’s one energy-draining habit you can change this week? Maybe it’s saying no to something that’s not essential. Maybe it’s scheduling actual rest, not just waiting for exhaustion to force it. Maybe it’s recognising that your energy is your most valuable resource—and treating it that way.

This isn’t just another thing to manage. This is about feeling good in your own life again. Because it’s not about how much you get done.

It’s about how you feel while you’re doing it.