10 Ways to Work With Your Energy Rather Than Against It

How often do you find yourself pushing through exhaustion, hoping that one more cup of tea, one more coffee, or sheer determination will get you through the day?

Many of us are juggling multiple responsibilities. Perhaps you’re caring for children, supporting ageing parents, managing a health condition, working long hours, or simply trying to keep up with the endless demands of modern life. When we get busy we often default to pushing harder. If we can just get this done and then we will rest. But what if the answer isn’t doing more?

What if the secret to feeling better is learning to work with your energy rather than constantly fighting against it? Our energy isn’t limitless. It naturally rises and falls throughout the day and week. Learning to respect those rhythms can help you feel more focused, productive, and resilient without constantly running on empty.

Here are ten simple ways to work with your energy rather than against it.

1. Protect Sleep

Sleep is important for daytime energy, concentration and overall wellbeing. Yet most of us have stayed up later than intended trying to finish one more task. Others find themselves scrolling on their phone long after they planned to go to bed because they feel too tired to move. Unfortunately, the more we miss out on sleep, the harder it becomes to function the next day. Good quality sleep helps our bodies repair, supports memory and learning, regulates hormones, and improves emotional resilience.

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Choose a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends. Your body thrives on routine, and maintaining a steady sleep schedule can make a noticeable difference to your energy levels. Read more about getting into a good sleep routine here.

2. Get Outside Within the First Hour of Waking

Natural morning light plays a powerful role in regulating your body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This system influences everything from alertness and mood to hormone production and sleep quality.

Many of us spend our mornings indoors under artificial lighting, but even a short dose of natural light can help signal to the brain that it is time to be awake and alert.

The good news is that you do not need bright sunshine for this to work. Even on cloudy days, outdoor light is significantly brighter than indoor light.

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Step outside for 10 to 20 minutes during the first hour after waking. You could enjoy your morning tea in the garden, walk around the block, or simply spend a few minutes standing outside and taking a few deep breaths.

3. Use Movement Snacks Throughout the Day

If you spend much of your day sitting at your desk, as I do, you may notice that your energy gradually fades as the hours pass. Long periods of sitting are linked with increased fatigue and reduced alertness. The solution to this is quick bursts of movement throughout the day. Even a few minutes of activity increases blood flow and can leave you feeling more refreshed and ready to focus.

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Aim to move at least once every hour. Stretch, walk around the house, refill your water bottle, dance to a favourite song, or climb a flight of stairs. Small movements really do add up.

4. Eat for Stable Energy

When energy is low, sugary snacks can feel like an easy solution. Unfortunately, these often create a short-lived boost followed by an energy crash a few hours later. Instead of hitting the sugary snacks or additional mug of caffeine, focus on meals that provide steady, sustained energy throughout the day.

The best foods are the ones that contain protein, fibre, and healthy fats tend to keep us fuller for longer and help maintain more stable blood sugar levels. This isn’t about perfection either, it is about eating better most of the time. Then the occasional treat won’t matter so much.

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When planning meals, ask yourself whether you have included a source of protein, fibre, and healthy fat. Small sustainable actions can really help longer-term.

5. Match Tasks to Your Natural Peaks and Dips

Most people have times of day when they naturally feel more alert and focused, alongside periods when energy dips. For me I am a morning person. There are some friends I have who we joke we live time zones. They are evening people or night owls. So it is about trying to tackle complex tasks when you have most energy. Routine tasks can be saved for lower-energy moments. Working with your natural energy patterns can help you achieve more while feeling less drained.

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Spend a week observing when you feel most focused. Schedule your most important work during those periods and save simpler tasks for lower-energy times.

6. Reduce Decision Fatigue

Every decision we make costs a small amount of energy. By the end of the day, the cumulative effect of hundreds of decisions can leave us feeling surprisingly drained.

Think about all the choices you make before lunchtime alone: what to wear, what to eat, what to work on first, what message to reply to, whether to exercise, and so on.

Simplifying recurring decisions can help preserve mental energy for the things that matter most.

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Create simple routines for meals, exercise, household tasks, or bedtime. The fewer unnecessary decisions you need to make, the more energy you’ll have available elsewhere.

7. Protect Your Attention From Constant Switching

Modern life is full of interruptions. Emails, notifications, messages, social media updates, and endless tabs all compete for our attention. While it may feel productive to multitask, switching repeatedly between tasks actually requires significant mental effort. Over time, this can leave us feeling mentally exhausted even if we have not completed much meaningful work. Protecting your attention is one of the most effective ways to conserve energy.

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Choose specific times during the day to check emails, messages, and social media rather than constantly dipping in and out. Your brain will thank you for it.

8. Use Strategic Naps When Appropriate

Naps often get a bad reputation, but research suggests that short naps can improve alertness, concentration, and mood.

The key is keeping them short. Longer naps can sometimes leave us feeling groggy and make it harder to sleep at night. Anything longer than 20 minutes can make you feel sluggish unless you go for full sleep cycle which for an adult can take 90minutes to 2 hours.

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If your schedule allows, experiment with a 10 to 20-minute nap in the early afternoon and notice how you feel afterwards.

9. Spend time in nature

Regular readers here will know I am a fan of this one. Research suggests that spending time in green spaces can reduce stress, improve mood, and help restore attention. Some researchers refer to this as “attention restoration”, where natural environments allow our minds to recover from the demands of focused work.

You do not need to live in the countryside to experience these benefits. A small local park, a quiet garden, or a tree-lined street can be enough. Read more about the benefits of spending time in nature here.

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Spend part of your lunch break in a local green space. Sit under a tree, walk beside water, or simply leave your phone in your pocket and notice the world around you.

10. Build Recovery Into Your Week

When life is busy it is important to build rest and recovery into your week. Continuing to push through does not always help. To have more energy we need time to rest and recover. Many people schedule work, chores, appointments, and commitments, but leave recovery until there is spare time. The problem is that spare time rarely appears on its own.

The activities that restore you deserve a place in your diary too. This can look different for everyone. For some people it might be reading a book, painting, knitting, gardening, gentle yoga, walking in nature, or simply enjoying an uninterrupted cup of tea.

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At the start of each week, schedule one or two activities that genuinely help you recharge. Treat them as important appointments rather than optional extras.

Conclusion

Working with your energy means recognising that your energy is a valuable resource that deserves care and attention. Rather than constantly pushing through exhaustion, consider where you could make small adjustments that support your natural rhythms. Protect your sleep, take regular movement breaks, spend time outdoors, and make room for recovery.

You do not need to implement all ten ideas at once. As always at relaxed squirrel we recommend choosing just one or two and experimenting with them over the next few weeks. Gentle, consistent changes often have a greater impact than dramatic overhauls. After all, the goal isn’t to squeeze more out of yourself. The goal is to create a life that feels sustainable, energising, and kind.