How to Increase Energy: A 30-Day Plan (Rest First, Then Push)

If you’re a founder or busy professional, you’ve probably tried to “optimize” your way to more energy—perfect sleep, perfect diet, perfect morning routine. If you’re chasing “high energy” 24/7, you’re burning it. The way to increase energy is a simple rhythm: Rest → Push → Repeat. You Rest first (sleep, light, a mix of active + passive rest, micro-breaks that actually help). Then you Push in a short, protected block on what matters. This guide maps the leaks in your Energy Buckets and gives you a 30-day plan—morning deposits, a light digital-detox weekend, and a real day off—so momentum feels natural again.

What “energy” really is (and why yours drains)

To be energetic you have to have 4 energetic buckets full.

Physical energy comes from sleep, light, nutrition, hydration, and movement.
Mental energy is your creative fuel; it’s drained by ignoring your wants and natural gifts.
Emotional energy is capacity for stress and connection; it sinks with conflict, doom-scrolling, and self-talk that shames you for being tired.
Spiritual energy is meaning: why you’re doing any of this.

When one bucket empties, the others compensate—briefly.

Why not feeling “10/10” is normal (and sometimes healthy)

Perfectionism around energy (“I must feel amazing to deserve rest”) is a trap. In practice, we don’t aim for 10/10 all day. We cycle between push and restore—like breathing.

Trying to live at “peak” backfires. Instead:

Capacity is cyclical. High output states are for strategic pushes; your productive zone is often 7–9/10—calm, focused, steady
Rest first, then work. You create better, faster from a restored baseline than from fumes. (“Rest hard, then work smart.”)
Sleep is a skill, not a collapse. A real wind-down starts before lights-out (think: dim lights, no phone, soothing rituals).

Want help placing pushes and restores? Grab the Free Energetic Planner to log your hourly energy (1–10), then schedule your “push” blocks inside your natural highs and your “restore” blocks before you hit empty.

From “I should have more energy” to smart diagnosis: what’s actually causing the drain?

Use this 4-checkpoint Energy Buckets diagnostic. If a threshold is “No,” address it before you add more hacks.

1) Physical (sleep & body)

Threshold: “I get ~7+ hours most nights and don’t wake up wrecked.” If No → fix sleep and rest cycles first.
- Start a 60–90-minute wind-down (dim lights, phone away, soothing cue). Blue-enriched light at night suppresses melatonin and shifts circadian timing—swap screens for paper or audio.
- Get morning daylight within an hour of waking (outdoors or bright window).
- If you crash at 3 p.m., try a 15–20-minute nap or a quiet eyes-closed reset; short naps can support cognitive performance.

2) Mental (decision fuel)

Threshold: “I can make the day’s key decisions without spinning.” If No → you have decision fatigue, a mental energy leak.
- Pre-decide micro-choices (clothes, route, lunch).
- Sort choices: Type 1 (hard to reverse) → slow; Type 2 (reversible) → decide fast (the 70% rule).
- Protect one 45–90-minute focus block early—before inbox. (Use the Planner to place it in your best window.)

3) Emotional (nervous system)

Threshold: “I can down-shift when stress spikes.” If No → add quick micro breaks that actually help:
- Slow exhale breathing (5 mins): breathe in normally, then exhale slowly as if through a straw—activates the parasympathetic system
- Walk + light: 5–10 minutes outside, no phone.
- Boundary micro-script: “I’ll get back to you tomorrow at 10,” to stop energy leaks.

4) Spiritual (mission & meaning)

Threshold: “I can say—in one sentence—why this matters now and how it serves who I’m becoming.”
If No → refill the Spiritual bucket (mission, values, inner why) so effort turns back into energy:

- 90-second “Why now?” Before a focus block, write: “I’m doing X because Y, to become Z.” (Meaning first, then mechanics.)
- Values filter (top 3). List your three core values; if a task doesn’t serve one, defer, delegate, or decline. (Values → boundaries.)
- Identity compass. Ask: “What would future-me choose?” Pick the option that matches that identity—even if it’s 10% scarier.
- One sentence intention (daily). Start the day with: “Today I move this one thing that matters to my mission.”
- Meaning metrics (weekly). Track Impact Made, People Helped, or Learning Wins—not just revenue or hours. (What you measure multiplies.)
- 5-minute reconnection ritual. Nature lap, slow exhale + short mantra (“I choose depth over speed”), or a quiet gratitude note to someone.

What is the perfectionism spiral (and why it keeps you stuck)

Here’s how founders burn energy without noticing:

Unrealistic standard: “I should feel 10/10 every day.”
Overloading: Stack hacks, work late, skip recovery. Plan work as if you are 10/10 every hour, every day.
Sleep collapse: “I’ll catch up this weekend.” (You won’t.)
Decision fatigue: Too many choices → avoidance or impulse.
Doom-scroll “breaks”: Blue-lit, dopamine-rich content at night keeps your brain “on,” delaying melatonin.
Shame loop: “If I were disciplined, I wouldn’t be tired.”
Freeze: You don’t start the thing that would return energy untill you earn the right to do what you want by doing what you need.

The 30-Day ENERGY EXPERIMENT: a simple plan to refill capacity

This is a four-week cadence to increase energy with active vs passive rest, purposeful work sprints, and minimal willpower.

Active vs passive rest:
Active = low-effort replenishment (walks, stretching, light chores, nature, breathwork).
Passive = stillness (nap, eyes-closed reset, bath, reading fiction). You need both—daily.

Week 1 — Restore to rise

Morning deposits (daily, 10–15 min up to 2 hours): water, morning light, 5-minute mobility or walk. Or other Morning Routines that boost your energy.
Evening wind-down (60–90 min): dim lights, phone out of room, soothing routine (tea, stretch, paper book). Blue-light at night = later melatonin = groggy mornings. Turn your nights in assets when your body restores and boosts your energy and productivty the next day.
Micro breaks that actually help (2–3×/day): 5-minute slow-exhale session; 5–10-minute outside lap; 2-minute “eyes-closed” reset. Short micro-breaks improve vigor and reduce fatigue.
TRACK your energy throughout the day and how these actions improve your day - visual progress will help you gain momentum for forther weeks.

Week 2 — Protect your decision fuel

One 45–90-minute focus block before inbox.
Sort choices Type 1 vs Type 2; apply the 70% rule for Type 2.
Batch micro-decisions the night before (outfit, lunch, top 1).
Active rest between calls: 5-minute breath + 2-minute stretch.

Week 3 — Digital detox weekend plan (36 hours)

Why: Lower inputs → less anxiety and better sleep; reducing social media to ~30 min/day improved well-being in a randomized study.
Plan:
- Fri 6 p.m.: turn off push notifications; move social apps to a folder.
- Sat (all day): airplane mode except two 15-minute check-ins; paper book only at night.
Active rest ideas: light hike, batch cooking, put-away hour, garden, stretching with music.
Passive rest ideas: nap, bath, journaling, fiction, cuddle pile.

Week 4 — Real day off (how to actually take it)

Pick a date, write an away message that protects it.
Rules: no work apps, no “life admin.” If energy dips, nap or do a slow-exhale reset—short naps can support attention and performance.
One joy action: the pottery drop-in, farmer’s market, or three-hour creative play.
Monday reset: you’ll often clear a week’s to-dos in a morning when fully restored.

How to know it’s working (track these)

Log weekly in your Planner/Tracker:

Waking Energy (1–10): average across the week.
Focus Block Minutes: total minutes of protected deep work.
Sleep Quality (subjective 1–10): did you wake restored?
# Micro-recoveries/day: breaths, outside laps, short resets.

Pro Tips: micro-signals of progress

You wake before the alarm (some days).
The 3 p.m. crash softens or disappears.
You reschedule low-value meetings without guilt.
Your “free day” doesn’t feel edgy—you’re able to do nothing.

FAQ

What’s the fastest way to increase energy today?
Start with light + water in the morning, protect one 45–90-minute focus block, and take two micro-breaks (slow exhale + outside lap). Micro-breaks reduce fatigue and increase vigor.

Active vs passive rest—which do I need?
Both. Active (walks, stretch, nature) restores without grogginess; Passive (nap, eyes-closed rest, bath) calms your nervous system quickly. Aim for small doses, daily. Short naps can aid performance and alertness. PubMed

I doom-scroll at night; is it really that bad?
Yes—blue-rich light at night suppresses melatonin and delays sleep timing. Trade screens for paper/audio the last 60–90 minutes.

How do I take a real day off without anxiety?
Write an away message, put devices on grayscale/airplane mode, and plan one joy action (e.g., pottery drop-in). If energy dips, nap or do a 5-minute slow-exhale reset.

What if I want personalized help?
Start with a Discovery Call (free, 30 min). If we’re a fit, choose 1:1 Coaching or a One-Session Breakthrough.

How to increase energy

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