A client said something to me recently that I hear often.
“I don’t understand why I’m so tired. I haven’t done anything major today.”
She’d answered emails, done some food shopping, made a few phone calls, sorted out something for one of her children. Nothing dramatic, nothing unusual and yet, by mid-afternoon, she felt flat. Not physically exhausted, but mentally drained – the kind of tiredness that makes it hard to focus or start anything new.
How many tasks are you doing in a day?
When we talked it through, it became clear that it wasn’t the size of the tasks that had drained her, it was the number of them.
The constant switching between roles, the small decisions. The things she’d remembered, organised, followed up on and kept in her head. None of it looked significant on paper, but together it had used up her energy.
Managing your energy.
This is something many people experience, particularly when they are juggling work, home and the day-to-day logistics of life.
We tend to think energy should be reserved for the big things – the important meetings, the major deadlines, the obvious challenges.
The invisible drains.
But in reality, it’s often the small, invisible things that use it up.
Replying to messages you didn’t expect.
Remembering to book appointments.
Thinking ahead.
Making decisions.
Keeping track of everything.
It creates a constant background drain and when your energy is low, everything feels harder than it should.
Practical changes that make all the difference.
The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your life to improve this. Small, practical changes can quickly give you some of your energy back.
1. Notice what actually drains you
For the next day or two, simply pay attention.
At the end of the day, ask yourself:
- What gave me energy today?
- What drained me?
- What didn’t really need to happen at all?
This isn’t about judging yourself; it’s about understanding where your energy is going.
Often, people are surprised by what they discover.
2. Close one open loop
Open loops are the small, unfinished tasks that sit in the background of your mind.
Booking an appointment, replying to a message, dealing with something you’ve been putting off.
Each one takes up more mental space than you realise.
Choose just one and close it.
It will free up more energy than you expect.
3. Stop holding everything in your head
Your brain is excellent at thinking but not always at storing large amounts of information long-term.
When everything stays in your head it creates pressure.
Write things down.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s in a notebook, a planner, or a simple list. The act of moving it out of your mind and onto paper creates immediate relief.
4. Protect a small pocket of time for yourself
This doesn’t need to be hours.
Even 30 minutes where you are not responding, organising or managing anything for anyone else can help reset your energy.
It gives your mind a chance to settle and from there, everything feels more manageable.
Small adjustments = big change.
What became clear for my client was that nothing was “wrong.” She wasn’t incapable or disorganised. She was simply using energy all day long without realising it.
Once she understood this, we were able to make small adjustments. Nothing dramatic. Just practical changes that helped her use her energy more wisely and feel more in control of her days again.
This is often the work I do with clients. Not adding more, but helping people see where their energy is going and putting simple structures in place that make everyday life feel lighter and easier to manage. Because when your energy improves, everything else does too.
