A blog by Pepetoe.

Have you ever noticed how some days, you wake up buzzing with energy, ideas flowing, motivation high, and others, you feel like your body and mind are running on 1% battery? Energy isn’t just about sleep or caffeine (though both help). It’s about what you give your time, attention, and emotions to. The people you see, the work you do, the way you talk to yourself, all of it either fuels you or drains you.

This post is about getting honest with your own energy audit: What strengthens it? What depletes it? And how can you create more of the things that leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and you again?

---

Understanding Your Energy

In this context, “energy” isn’t just about how much sleep you’ve had or how many coffees you’ve had that morning, or how much “energy” you have for your workout. We’re talking about the whole picture of what makes you feel alive, grounded, and present.

It’s the invisible current that runs through your day, which is influenced by how you think, move, rest, and connect. When your energy is strong, you feel calm but capable; motivated without forcing it; aligned with yourself. When it’s low, everything feels heavier, even the things you usually enjoy.

Energy can be physical (how your body feels), mental (how focused or scattered your mind is), and emotional (how steady or reactive your mood feels). Every choice you make – the people you spend time with, how you talk to yourself, how you move your body, how much you rest – either fuels that current or drains it. It’s less about “hustle energy” and more about protecting the version of you that feels most like you.

The first step to taking back control of your energy is to understand what uplifts you and what drains you. Take a second now to pause and reflect on these things, and it might surprise you.

What Strengthens Your Energy

Your energy thrives on nourishment, not pressure. Things that strengthen it are often the simplest (and the most overlooked).

• Movement that feels good, not punishing. A walk with a podcast, a slow stretch, a gym session that leaves you proud, not exhausted.
• Connection with people who make you feel lighter. The ones who listen, make you laugh, and don’t need you to shrink to fit around them.
• Time offline. Logging off social media, even just for an hour, can help you come back to yourself.
• Purposeful rest. Rest that’s guilt-free and intentional – reading in bed, journaling, sitting in silence.
• Environment. A tidy space, a candle lit, or music that matches your mood can instantly lift your energy.

Energy strengthens when you move through life in alignment with what matters to you, not what drains you trying to keep up with everyone else.

What Depletes Your Energy

Sometimes you don’t realise how drained you are until you finally slow down. Energy leaks can be subtle, and they often come from things you’ve normalised.

• Overcommitment. Saying “yes” when you mean “no,” leaving no space for yourself.
• People-pleasing. Constantly worrying about how others see you, even when it costs your peace.
• Lack of boundaries. Always being available (to texts, to work, to everyone else’s needs), while ignoring your own.
• Mind clutter. Overthinking, self-criticism, comparison, and perfectionism quietly exhaust your mental energy.
• Overthinking the past. This is a common one that drains all of us. It’s time to stop looking backwards and focus on how to uplift your energy in the now.
• Digital overload. Endless scrolling, consuming instead of creating, and starting your day on your phone.

If you notice that certain people, places, or habits leave you feeling anxious, flat, or tense, that’s a sign something is depleting your energy, and it’s okay to take a step back.

How to Protect and Rebuild Your Energy

Protecting your energy doesn’t mean isolating yourself or becoming “low-maintenance.” It means being intentional.

Prioritise joy. Do one thing a day that’s purely for you, even if it’s small. Energy grows where joy is planted.

Set boundaries early. You teach people how to treat you by what you tolerate. It’s okay to say, “I don’t have the energy for that right now.”

Create slow rituals. A morning walk, journaling before bed, or brewing your coffee without rushing… simple acts that ground you.

Check in with yourself daily. Ask: “What do I need today?” It might be movement, quiet, or connection, and that answer can change.

Let go of guilt around rest. Productivity doesn’t define worth. Resting is part of healing, not laziness.

Your Personal Energy Audit

Take a moment to think about your daily routine. What truly fuels you, and what leaves you empty?

Ask yourself:

• Who makes me feel calm and supported?
• What habits leave me feeling refreshed, not drained?
• Where do I give too much of myself?
• What would my days look like if I protected my energy first?

Jot it down, even if it’s messy. Seeing it written out makes it real. This is the first step in shifting from survival mode to self-alignment.

The Takeaway

Energy is precious, and it’s personal. What strengthens one person might drain another. The goal isn’t to control everything around you, but to stay connected enough to notice what lifts you up, and to be brave enough to walk away from what doesn’t.

When you start living with energy awareness, you stop running on empty. You begin to fill your days with things that make you feel more you.

Xo Pepetoe