There's this thing that happens in life where we put in countless hours of effort trying to build routines and ways of taking care of ourselves...
Life just starts life-ing all over you.
And you're left to figure how to actually maintain those routines through it all, no matter what you are juggling—chronic illness, mental health, kids, caretaking elders, etc. (the best laid plans and all.)
I was reminded of this recently when I had Hashimoto's flare-up. When I woke up from several nights of bad sleep, had lingering muscle aches, and the kind of brain fog that makes you want to throw your to-do list (or whole computer) out the window?
Unfortunately it's been single digit negatives here all week so I had to refrain 😂
Looking at my Oura ring only confirmed what my body was screaming: high stress on my body and a plummeting overall well-being.
Standing in my kitchen that morning, trying to decide between a quick protein coffee and powering through my most important tasks or taking a slow morning with time for a proper breakfast to support my body, I felt that familiar overwhelm creep in.
(I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about—the one where your mind starts racing through all the things you won't get done now that you're dealing with a roadblock.)
No matter how long I do this work or how flexible my systems are, I still have these thoughts.
Because I'm human.
The systems aren't there to eliminate every struggle, but better equip you so you have the capacity to handle them when they arise.
Instead of spiraling or pushing through, (hello, past Hannah 😅) the systems allow you to meet that overwhelmed voice in your head with understanding more easily (and quickly) so that your energy can be spent on doing the most important things instead of spiraling internally trying to build the wheel from scratch every time.
Once the internal alarm bells get shut off you then have pathways because of your systems to make choosing next steps simple. You get to focus on making choices based on your body's signals, external commitments, and available energy.
This is how you can take 15-30 minutes and restart your whole day when something derails—without the guilt spiral, 'lost' hours, or failed expectations.
This is what we're diving into this week:
How to make sure the routines flex with life's variables instead of breaking under them.
Life's Energy Equation
It's wild when you dig into the science and see just how important all the connecting pieces are to managing your energy.
Those days when everything feels harder than it "should" and your usual routines just don't work? The reason behind them can have nothing to do with work—or everything to do with, well, everything. (Because of course it can't be simple! 🙃)
Our bodies are constantly responding to changes in our environment - everything from temperature shifts to daylight hours impacts our hormones, appetite, and energy levels.
Think of your energy like an equation with multiple variables:
Physical environment (temperature, light, noise)
Body rhythms (sleep cycles, hormones, nutrition)
External demands (work, social obligations, seasonal changes)
Internal state (stress levels, emotional well-being, health status)
Each of these variables can either support or drain your energy. For example, research shows that cold temperatures actually increase appetite-related hormones while decreasing the ones that tell us we're satisfied. This might explain why you crave different foods or need different amounts of rest as seasons change.
Even daylight hours play a role, affecting your serotonin levels (hello S.A.D. and mood regulation!) which can impact everything from your appetite to your motivation. This is why winter can feel especially challenging for energy management.
The traditional approach to productivity and self-management often treats these variables as inconveniences to overcome:
💪 "Push through the winter blues!"
💪 "Down another coffee to get through it!"
💪 "Power through that afternoon slump!"
When life is life-ing all over us and your body is pushing back, it's got good reason to. Your body needs something and it's literally begging for you to provide it.
So what if, instead of fighting against these natural fluctuations, we made sure you were prepared to work with them?
Research from Korn Ferry suggests that sustainable energy management isn't about maintaining constant high energy (because spoiler: obviously that's impossible).
Instead, it's about:
Becoming mindful instead of habitual
Learning to sit with adversity
Practicing self-compassion
Cultivating positive emotions
Finding meaning in what we do
This framework aligns perfectly with what I've learned through my own health journey: the most sustainable approach isn't about pushing through or maintaining perfect routines. It's about building flexibility into our systems so they can adapt to whatever life throws at us.
Whether it's:
😴 Seasonal changes affecting your sleep
🪫 Health fluctuations impacting your capacity
💼 Work demands shifting unexpectedly
🍻 Social obligations adding extra stress
Your energy management strategy needs to be as dynamic as life itself.
But how do we answer the real question?
How do we actually build this flexibility into our daily lives?
I learned this the hard way through my Hashimoto's journey:
➡️ A "perfect" routine was great until a flare up, then everything fell apart.
➡️ But an unstructured routine... left me feeling scattered and unanchored.
One was WAY too rigid and the other was WAY too flexible.
The sweet spot? Creating energy-aligned decision trees and personal menus.
Think of it like having different versions of your routines ready to go:
High energy days = full capacity version
Medium energy = modified but still productive
Low energy = minimum viable version that honors your needs
The key isn't having three completely different routines. It's about identifying the core elements that support you and finding ways to scale them up or down based on your available energy.
For example, my morning routine might look like:
High energy: Full workout, protein-rich breakfast, longer focused work blocks
Medium energy: Gentle movement, quick protein breakfast, short work sessions
Low energy: Basic stretching, protein coffee, equal rest-work cycles
Each version still includes movement, proper fuel, and productive time—each is just adapted to match my capacity.
For those of us who need a little spontenaity in our structure, personal menus allow you to build these by routine or by single topic (movement, food, etc.) so you can have a plug and play version of today's activity. Feel free to revisit that exercise instead of or in combination with today's!
This week's exercise will help you create your own decision tree so your routines can bend without breaking. Let's...
Try This:
This week, we're creating personalized response strategies that honor both your needs and your reality. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, we're building flexibility right into your systems.
HOW-TO:
STEP ONE: Core Needs Audit (10-15 min)
List your non-negotiable daily needs (sleep, food, movement, etc.)
Note current routines/habits supporting these needs
Identify which ones tend to drop first when life gets challenging
Rate the impact (1-10) of dropping each one
The ones that drop first and have the highest impact rating, should be the routine you focus on for this exercise. Remember to choose slow and steady, one focus at a time to prevent adding overwhelm!
STEP TWO: Energy Level Mapping (20-30 min)
Next up, you'll create three versions of how to meet each need in that routine. I actually recommend that you outline your lowest energy version first, then your highest, and then your medium energy version last.
This allows you to start with really honest vulnerability about what you need at your lowest energy times before outlining what a full version looks like. It's important to remember that full capacity doesn't mean "what it should look like" it means "what full capcity for you looks like" and it's okay if that's different from other's full capacity.
Minimum Viable Version (Low Energy Days)
What are the basics and essentials that honor the need?
How can you achieve them with the lowest energy cost possible?
What timing is necessary for this routine?
Full Capacity Version (High Energy Days)
What does the routine look like when all conditions are ideal?
What is the required energy cost of that routine? You can use the Energy Cost Calculator to help determine this.
What are the ideal timing or circumstances for this routine?
Modified Version (Medium Energy Days)
What does the routine look like if scaled back from high and more than low?
What ways can you reduce energy cost while maintaining benefits?
What variable timing or circumstances are needed for this?
You can document this in a digital background, draw it up in a notebook, or a sheet of paper you can post up in an easy to find place. I made you a template you can use as a guide or print as you get started!
STEP THREE: Implementation Planning (15-20 min)
Each day, check in and identify your current energy level. It's okay if this is a vibe, gut feeling, or based on tracking data.
Choose the routine version that matches your current energy level.
Test the laid out versions based on your daily energy over a 2-week period.
Note what works and what needs adjusting.
Take those learnings + loop!
PERSONALIZATION IDEAS:
Create environment triggers for each energy level (like different playlists or workspace setups) You can also use the 3-2-1 Formula to create a transition for each of the 3 routines that help you move in and out of them easier.
Set up decision-free defaults for low energy days. Save as much energy as possible on those days!
Build support system alerts (like telling your partner, friend, or teammate what support looks like at each level.)
Use voice notes or simple checkmarks instead of detailed tracking when energy is low.
Keep your flexible options visible where you'll see them (phone wallpaper, bathroom mirror, etc.) Use those times of higher energy to make things easier on your low energy self.
REMEMBER:
This isn't about lowering your standards—it's about creating sustainable systems that work with your energy instead of against it. Your minimum viable version isn't a failure... it's a strategic choice to maintain consistency through life's curveballs.
The goal is to build a toolkit of options that lets you:
🫶 Honor your needs at any energy level
🧗♀️ Maintain momentum without burning out
🌱 Adapt to life's changes proactively
💪 Trust yourself to make supportive choices
Some weeks you'll use all three versions, others you might stick to one. Having options isn't a sign of inconsistency... it's a sign of wisdom. Every time you choose the version that matches your energy, you're strengthening your self-trust muscle and building more sustainable success.
From My Journal
What do flamingos and burnout have in common? There was a show back in 2021 called, Life in Color, that has a segment on flamingos.
Like the fact that flamingos aren't naturally pink…
They are born with shades of gray feathers.
Over time the pigments from their food (like algae, shrimps, and crustaceans) builds up and gives them their brilliant pink feathers.
Their color is a sign of strength and health. And they can lose it.
They become pale pink or even when taking care of their young and young flamingos can take up to 5 years to earn their pink coloring.
FIVE YEARS.
It got me thinking about the parallels with burnout, because after going through multiple burnouts, I think the worst part is:
Losing the thing that makes you, you.
While I know we never truly lose ourselves, parts of us become buried beneath the stress, overwhelm, and symptoms of burnout and it takes a lot of work to find that again.
It takes time for burnout to set in and it takes time to recover. In those moments, hold on tightly to your wonder and sense of awe. You will always be in there, it just takes time for those brilliant, bright pink feathers to build back up.
WHAT I'M LOVING:
Yes, I'm still listening to the Wicked soundtrack and yes, this is the best thing I've found on YouTube in weeks. If you love Wicked, rollercoasters, general internet ingenuity and creativity - enjoy ✨
If you've ever wondered what it would look like if Twilight was mockumentary, well, look no further. #24K
It's been sub zero here for what feels like a week and we are supposed to swing into the 70s on Tuesday which means summer is almost here so it's time to start preparing. As spacehippie so poignantly pointed out "Mhmm we’re preheating our recession mixes."
HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE?
Here's a few ways you can let me know:
Option 1: 💌 Share with a fellow creative or business owner. Community starts with each of us and friends don't let friends chase their dreams at the expense of their mental health! If you know someone seeking more sustainability and harmony in their life and/or business, send this their way.
Option 2: 👋 Say hi! Hit reply and share a sentence or two about anything you enjoyed or hit home for you. I always hope these words find the right people at the right time, but it's always makes my day to hear from you!
