There is a question I have been asking myself lately:
What if I don’t actually need more energy?
What if I simply need to stop spending so much of the energy I already have?
It is an interesting thought, especially because we live in a world that is constantly trying to sell us more energy.
More motivation.
Better morning routines.
Another supplement.
Another productivity hack.
Another way to squeeze just a little bit more out of ourselves.
And yet so many of us are exhausted. Not necessarily because we are doing too much physically.
Sometimes it is because our energy is being spent in a hundred tiny places we barely notice: thinking about something we haven’t dealt with, checking our phone for the fiftieth time, having five conversations in our head that have never actually happened, saying yes when we mean maybe — or no.
Carrying something emotionally that isn’t ours. Starting one task while still thinking about the previous one. Trying to make everyone around us comfortable.
And then wondering why, by the end of the day, there is nothing left in the tank.
I know this territory myself. And the older I get, the more I realise that vitality isn’t simply about having more energy.
It is also about knowing where our energy is going — and learning when we need to protect our energy rather than simply trying to create more of it.
Ayurveda Has a Different Way of Looking at Energy
One of the things I love about Ayurveda is that it doesn’t reduce vitality to how much energy we can produce.
It is much more interested in how well we use, preserve and replenish our life force.
In Ayurveda, Prana is the vital life force that animates us — our movement, breath, vitality, awareness and ability to engage with life.
And then there is Ojas, which I think of as a deeper reserve of strength and resilience.
If Ojas is new to you, I’ve written more about this deeper reserve of vitality and resilience here →
When we continually push, overextend, overstimulate and override ourselves, we aren’t simply “having a busy week”. Over time, we can begin to draw too heavily on our reserves.
And this is where I think modern wellness sometimes gets it backwards.
We keep asking:
“How can I get more energy?”
Perhaps a better question is:
“Where am I leaking the energy I already have?”
[INTERNAL LINK: A natural place to link to Ruth’s article about Ojas.]
The Energy Leaks You Don’t See
Some of the biggest drains aren’t the things on your calendar.
They are the things happening quietly in the background.
The unfinished loop
You know that email you haven’t answered? That conversation you need to have? The decision you’ve been postponing?
Your mind may still be carrying it even when you’re doing something completely unrelated.
One unfinished thing can take up surprisingly large amounts of mental space.
The constant switching
Email.
WhatsApp.
Meeting.
Phone.
Document.
Instagram.
Back to the email.
Where was I?
This kind of constant switching may feel productive, but it can leave the mind fragmented and surprisingly tired.
The invisible “yes”
This one can be particularly costly.
Saying yes because you don’t want to disappoint someone. Yes because it seems easier. Yes because you should be able to fit it in.
And then wondering why your week feels impossibly full.
Sometimes protecting your energy begins with a very simple sentence:
“Let me think about that before I say yes.”
What a revolutionary concept.
Carrying what isn’t yours
If you are naturally empathic, caring or responsible, you may find yourself carrying other people’s stress without even realising it.
You can care deeply without taking everything into your own system.
That distinction can be life-changing. It definitely was for me.
Your Body Usually Knows Before Your Calendar Does
This is something I encourage my clients to become curious about.
Before burnout. Before complete exhaustion. Before your body starts demanding a much bigger pause.
There are often smaller signals:
- Your patience is thinner.
- You don’t want to socialise.
- Your digestion changes.
- Sleep isn’t as restorative.
- You feel strangely flat.
- Things that normally bring you joy feel like effort.
Or perhaps you simply keep thinking:
“I just need to get through this week.”
And then next week becomes the same.
If that feeling is familiar, you may also like Why You Feel Wired but Exhausted — An Ayurvedic Explanation for Modern Life.
The body is not trying to sabotage your productivity.
It is communicating.
And learning to hear those quieter messages is one of the most powerful forms of self-care I know.
So How Do We Stop the Leaks?
This doesn’t require a complete life overhaul.
In fact, I would argue that if your life already feels overwhelming, adding a twelve-step vitality routine is probably the last thing you need.
Start smaller.
Finish something
Choose one small unfinished thing and complete it.
Send the email. Make the appointment. Put something away. Have the conversation.
Notice how much space becomes available when your mind no longer has to remember it.
Create one pocket of single-tasking
Choose one part of your day where you do one thing.
Eat without scrolling. Walk without listening to anything. Have a conversation without checking your phone.
It sounds almost ridiculously simple.
That’s partly why I love it.
Give your senses less to process
Our senses are constantly being asked to take in more.
More noise.
More screens.
More information.
More opinions.
Sometimes the most nourishing thing you can give your nervous system is less.
Quiet.
Soft light.
Nature.
Warmth.
Stillness.
Eat before you’re completely depleted
This sounds obvious, but it is remarkable how many high-functioning adults run on coffee, determination and good intentions until suddenly they are starving.
Regular, nourishing meals support Agni and give the body something to work with.
Your body is not a machine you can keep running on empty because there is an important meeting at 2pm.
Protect a little empty space
Not every minute needs to be useful.
This may be one of the hardest practices for high achievers. But empty space is not wasted time.
It is where the nervous system gets to breathe. It is where ideas arrive. It is where we remember what we actually think.
And Then There Is the Question of What Matters
Perhaps the most powerful way to protect your energy isn’t to become better at managing everything.
Perhaps it is to become more discerning about what deserves your energy in the first place.
Not everything deserves a response.
Not every invitation deserves a yes.
Not every problem needs solving today.
Not every thought needs following.
Not every person needs access to you at all times.
And not every opportunity is your opportunity.
This is not about becoming unavailable or selfish.
Quite the opposite.
When we stop scattering ourselves everywhere, we have more of ourselves available for the people, work and experiences that genuinely matter.
A Small Ayurvedic Practice I Come Back To
When I notice myself becoming scattered or stretched too thin, I often return to something incredibly simple.
I stop. I put my feet on the ground. I take a few slow breaths.
And I ask:
“Where is my energy going right now?”
Not where should it be going?
Not what should I be doing?
Just:
Where is it actually going?
Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes it isn’t.
But simply noticing can change something.
Because we cannot consciously redirect energy that we haven’t noticed we’re spending.
A Final Thought
Perhaps you don’t need to become more energetic.
Perhaps you need to become more protective of your energy.
There is a difference.
Your vitality is precious. Not because you need to preserve yourself in some perfect state, but because your energy is what allows you to participate fully in your life.
To work with purpose.
To love.
To create.
To laugh.
To be present.
To be there for the people you care about.
So before reaching for the next thing that promises to give you more energy, perhaps pause and ask yourself:
Where am I spending the energy I already have?
And then perhaps ask one more question:
What could I gently stop carrying?
You may be surprised by how much energy comes back when you stop asking yourself to carry what was never yours to begin with.
With warmth,
Ruth
Curious about where your energy may be going?
If you’ve been feeling depleted, scattered or simply not quite yourself, the Vitality Imbalance Quiz is a gentle place to begin. It can help you recognise where your system may be out of balance — and where it may be asking for a little more support.
