Last week, we explored how time and energy management goes beyond productivity – it’s a crucial part of reducing stress and feeling in control in every area of your life, not just work.
This week, we’re uncovering the three essential shifts that will help you break the cycle of overwhelm and constant reactivity, so you can start managing your time and energy in a way that finally works for you, rather than against you.
These shifts follow a natural progression:
- Awareness: Recognising and shifting out of a reactive state.
- System: A structured and flexible planning process that puts you in control.
- Sustainability: Managing your energy, not just your time.
Shift 1: Recognising the Reactive Trap – The first step to taking back control
Most people don’t realise they’re stuck in a reactive state. They wake up and immediately start responding to emails, notifications, demands, and an endless to-do list … or even their own stressful thoughts! This leaves them feeling constantly behind, overwhelmed, and exhausted. And the way you start your day typically sets the tone for the rest of it, unless you’re highly aware and intentional about managing your state.
The key shift is: understanding the difference between a reactive and a proactive state – and intentionally cultivating a proactive state. This means recognising when you’ve slipped into reactivity and using tools and routines to bring yourself back into a place of clarity and control. It’s not about doing more; it’s about working smarter by structuring your time and energy with intention.
When you start your day in a proactive state, you already know what’s most important and when you’ll do it. You eliminate decision fatigue, reduce stress, and create mental space for clear thinking. Instead of chasing tasks, you’re directing them. Instead of feeling behind, you’re ahead.
Shift 2: Daily Planning – The routine that puts you in control
Once you recognise the need to be proactive, the next step is having a simple but powerful planning system that actually works.
I teach my clients a specific method for planning their time and energy, which includes a structured to-do list process and a daily schedule planning system. This isn’t just about listing tasks – it’s about creating a system that works with your brain’s chemistry, your energy, and workload, so you stay productive without burning out.
Here’s why this system works:
- A head start – You wake up with a clear plan, feeling prepared rather than overwhelmed.
- Enhanced wellbeing & less stress – A proactive state lowers stress, reduces mental clutter, and helps you prioritise self-care.
- A clear mind – Planning in advance reduces decision fatigue and keeps you mentally sharp.
- Better decision-making – With structure in place, your choices become intentional rather than reactive.
- Effective delegation – Planning well gives you the capacity to prioritise, delegate, and manage workload effectively.
- Stronger boundaries & discernment – You gain control over how much time and energy you give to people, clients, and work – and set clearer boundaries to protect it.
This daily planning routine takes just a few minutes each day, but the impact is massive. Once you experience how much smoother your days feel, you’ll never want to go back to firefighting your way through your schedule.
When I first introduce these tools to clients, they often feel like planning is just one more thing to add to their already packed schedule. But once they experience the shift – from stress and chaos to clarity and control – they realise that these few minutes of planning don’t add pressure; they’re key to relieving it.
Shift 3: Managing Energy, Not Just Time – The missing piece
Once you’ve established a solid planning habit, there’s another level that makes all the difference: factoring in your energy, not just your time.
Most people focus only on what they need to do, but they don’t consider how their energy fluctuates throughout the day, week, or even month. This is why so many high-achievers push through exhaustion, only to find themselves burnt out, frustrated, regularly rundown and stuck in inefficient work patterns.
Energy management means:
- Recognising that your wellbeing is directly tied to your performance – without energy, even the best plans fall apart.
- Planning ahead for high-pressure periods so you have the focus and resilience you need – without burnout.
- Building in realistic wellbeing habits that keep you performing at your best, rather than falling into an all-or-nothing cycle.
- Blocking out non-negotiable recharge time so that you maintain balance even in busy seasons.
This is where I see many clients struggle. These shifts sound simple in theory, but actually applying them requires tuning into your energy, understanding how your body responds, and making adjustments that fit your unique rhythm. The real transformation happens when you know how to integrate these shifts into your daily life in a way that feels natural and sustainable.
Applying These Shifts in Real Life
Mastering these three shifts – your awareness of how you operate, your planning routine, and your energy – sets the foundation for a completely different way of working and living.
But what does this look like in real life? How does it feel when you finally break free from overwhelm and take back control?
Next week, I’ll be sharing a real-life story of a client who recently implemented these shifts, along with the practical tools behind them, and the dramatic impact it had on her productivity, energy, and overall wellbeing.
I’ll also be sharing how there’s a science-backed, hormonal component to all of this, meaning you can literally wire yourself to feel better and get more done by using the right techniques.
And as I’ve seen time and time again, these shifts don’t just change how you work – they change how you feel, operate, and show up in life.
Kate x
