Energy Over Time Management: A Different Way to Work
We’re all familiar with the feeling: a to-do list longer than your arm, back-to-back meetings and a nagging sense that no matter how efficient you are, there’s just not enough time.
For years, the default solution has been time management. Get better at prioritising. Use the Pomodoro technique. Schedule your day to the minute. And while these tools can be helpful, they often miss something more fundamental:
It’s not just about how you manage your time - it’s about how you manage your energy. Let me explain.
The Problem with Time Management
Time management assumes that if you can just carve up your hours the right way, you’ll be more productive and feel more in control. But here’s the truth: your time may be fixed, but your energy isn’t. It fluctuates throughout the day and week, depending on everything from your sleep and diet, to stress levels, emotional wellbeing and even the kinds of tasks you're doing.
You can have a whole afternoon blocked out for a task, but if you’re depleted - mentally, emotionally or physically - it’s going to take twice as long (and feel five times harder).
So what if, instead of asking:
“How can I fit everything in?”
you asked:
“When do I have the energy to do this well?”
That small shift opens the door to a more sustainable, and often more effective, way of working.
What Is Energy Management?
Energy management is about noticing and honouring the rhythms of your day. It’s about becoming more aware of:
When you do your best thinking
What drains you Vs. what gives you energy
How to structure your day to work with your energy, not against it
And it’s about rethinking success, not as cramming more into the day, but as doing the things that matter with presence, clarity and purpose.
The Four Types of Energy
Tony Schwartz’s work on energy management breaks it down into four types:
Physical – Sleep, movement, nutrition, rest
Emotional – Feeling safe, calm, motivated
Mental – Focus, decision-making, creativity
Spiritual – Meaning, values, purpose
Most productivity advice focuses on mental energy. But if your physical and emotional energy are depleted, it’s like trying to drive a car with no fuel - you can press the accelerator all you like, but you’re not going far.
The invitation here is to zoom out and ask: What kind of energy do I need right now? And how can I replenish it?
A Different Way to Plan Your Day
Here’s a practical way to start applying this:
1. Map Your Energy
Take a few days to observe your energy levels. When do you feel most alert and focused? When do you crash? What activities energise or drain you?
You can use a simple scale (e.g. 1–10) to track energy every couple of hours. Patterns will emerge.
2. Match Energy to Task
Once you understand your rhythms, try aligning your work with your natural peaks and dips.
Use your high-energy times for deep focus, creative work, or decision-making.
Use low-energy periods for admin, emails, or rest.
This way, you’re not fighting your biology, you’re flowing with it.
3. Build in Recovery
We often underestimate the power of rest. But even short breaks - a walk, a stretch, a coffee in the sun - can recharge your system. Think of recovery as an investment, not a luxury.
Energy Practices That Make a Difference
Of course everyone is different, but here are some simple shifts that can might help you manage your energy better:
Start the day with intention, not your inbox
Protect your peak energy hours (often mornings!)
Move your body regularly, even for 5 minutes
Notice and name who and/or what is draining you emotionally
Say no (or not now) more often
Reconnect to your purpose when you're feeling flat
Stop for lunch - properly
Spend time in nature - start with a 10-minute walk
These aren’t dramatic changes. But over time, they lead to better quality thinking, more consistent motivation and a deeper sense of wellbeing.
Coaching Reflection: What Fuels You?
If you’re feeling depleted right now, ask yourself:
What are the moments in your week that give you energy?
What’s one thing you could do to protect or increase those?
What’s one small thing you could stop doing - or do differently - that’s draining you of energy unnecessarily?
These are the kinds of questions I often explore with coaching clients. Sometimes the answers lead to big changes. More often, it’s about small, consistent shifts that build energy and momentum over time.
The Takeaway
Time is fixed. Energy is renewable.
You don’t need to hustle harder or squeeze more in. You need to know where your energy goes, and work with it, not against it.
So the next time your to-do list feels impossible, pause and ask:
Where is my energy right now?
What would it look like to honour it, just for today?
You might just find that you get more done - and feel better doing it.
Want to Go Deeper?
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to support you through coaching. Together, we can explore how to build sustainable energy, purpose and performance - on your terms.
Get in touch for an informal chat