The Energy Audit: How to Stop Running on Empty This Fall
The Hidden Cost of Doing It All
If fall feels like a blur, you’re not alone! It seems like every season lately has had its own brand of chaos — spring goals, summer plans, and now the pumpkin-spiced rush of it all.
Somehow between carpool, acting classes, track practices, work deadlines, holiday prep, and trying to “stay present,”our calendars have become more crowded than our minds can reasonably handle. We’ve reached peak mental load and are barreling towards emotional (and physical) burnout. The things that once lit us up start to feel like boxes to check. Our patience shortens, our creativity dulls, and that vibrant, grounded version of ourselves feels just out of reach.
We say yes because we genuinely want to show up for our people — but unless we’re careful, our energy starts to leak through the cracks. The hard part? The energy vampires don’t always look like villains. Sometimes it’s the group chat, the extra project, or the habit we keep saying “just one more time” to.
Awareness Is Power
Let’s do a gentle audit — no judgment, just awareness. Because you deserve to feel good in your own skin! And because your loved ones need the version of you that’s not running on fumes.
We can only make more intentional, healthy choices once we identify the ones that no longer serve us.
Don’t just nod along — do it with me right now. Grab your Notes app or a scrap of paper, use the questions below as a guide, and make two quick lists:
1️⃣ What drains you
2️⃣ What restores you
Emotional Energy: Who or what drains you? Do certain relationships or commitments leave you feeling tense or heavy afterward? What recent interactions left you feeling lighter and more energized?
Mental Energy: How much space does worry, planning, or decision fatigue take up in your day? What recent activity gave you a chance to simply be without using every brain cell at 100%?
Physical Energy: Are you honoring your body’s rhythms, or forcing it to run on empty? What have you done this past week that supported your body’s needs and sparked a sense of well-being?
Spiritual Energy; Do you ever pause long enough to check in with what truly matters — not what’s expected, not what’s trending? How can you reconnect to that quiet voice that whispers what you actually need?
Reclaiming Your Spark
When you start noticing where your energy goes, you begin to reclaim it. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s presence.
It’s about integrating small shifts that refuel your mind, body, and soul fast. Try a few of these:
• One mindful breath before saying yes — Does this light me up or weigh me down?
• A two-minute body scan — Where do I feel tight, tired, or tense?
• Digital boundaries — No phone before bed or first thing in the morning. Protect your peace.
• Mini movement breaks — Stretch, sway, twist. Move the energy through before it gets stuck.
• Micro-moments of stillness — Sit in the car after drop-off. Feel your breath. Do nothing for sixty seconds.
Do It for You (and Your Village)
Here’s your permission slip: you don’t have to keep over-functioning to prove your love. Be brave enough to cut out what consistently drains you and embrace radical self-love by integrating more of what truly fills your cup.
Sometimes giving less of yourself means offering more of your presence. When you rest, breathe deeply, and honor your limits, your body softens, your mood steadies, and your energy returns.
When you care for yourself deeply, consistently, and unapologetically, you show up brighter, steadier, and stronger for everyone around you. Your light, your laughter, your grounded joy — that’s what the people you love really need.