A Different Way to Start the Year: Energy Management for ADHD Brains

Why Your Brain Can’t Execute Goals Without This One Thing

Let’s Talk About Energy (Not Goals)

Let me guess.

It’s early January. You had good intentions.

Maybe even a color-coded plan.

And now… you’re already tired.

Not lazy. Not unmotivated 

Just tired in that deep, nervous-system kind of way.

So before we talk about goals, habits, or “leveling up,” can we do something different together?

Let’s pause. Let’s exhale. And take a minute to talk about energy, but not in the “just think positive” way.

In the real, science-backed, lived-experience way.

Why Energy Comes Before Motivation

Here’s something most personal development conversations skip:

👉 Your brain can’t generate motivation without enough energy to back it up.  

Motivation doesn’t magically appear first. Motivation isn’t a character trait you either have or don’t have.  It’s your brain running a calculation:  “Is there enough fuel in the tank to  make this effort worth it?”

And when your energy is depleted, physically, mentally, emotionally, your brain literally turns down the motivation dial to conserve what little resources you have left. 

It’s not laziness.  It’s biology.  Your brain is protecting you, not sabotaging you.  

Motivation doesn’t magically appear first.  Clarity doesn’t arrive on demand.  I mean, wouldn’t it be great if our brains had a remote control like our TVs do?  You know, with the  “on demand” Button where you can just pull up whatever you want, whenever you want it?  

Just click it and say, “ Yes, today I’d like some clarity and motivation and a side of executive function, please.”

Follow-through doesn’t come from “trying harder.”

It comes from having enough energy in your nervous system to support the task at hand.  

And here’s what makes this especially tricky for ADHD brains: we’re often running on fumes without even realizing it.  We’ve gotten so good at pushing through, compensating, and masking that we’ve lost touch with what our bodies are actually telling us.  

Let me explain what’s really happening. 

The Science Behind ADHD Energy Depletion

Let’s say your nervous system has two main gears: sympathetic (gas pedal) and parasympathetic (brake pedal) When you’re regulated, you can shift between them smoothly.  You can focus when you need to, and you can rest when it’s time. 

When you’re dysregulated? You’re either stuck with your foot on the gas, (anxious, scattered, unable to slow down even when you’re exhausted) or your frozen with both feet on the brake, knowing what you need to do but unable to move.   

Or worse: you’ve got one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake, both trying to drive the car at the same time. This reminds me of when my daughter first got her driving permit. Imagine a new driver behind the wheel of a stick shift car, lurching forward, stalling out, burning through energy just trying to move an inch. 

That’s what dysregulation can feel like.  You’re simultaneously wired and exhausted, desperate to do something but completely stuck. 

So when you pile on more goals, more productivity hacks, more “just do better” pressure? So if you’re starting the year already depleted, asking yourself to “do more” is trying to run a marathon after donating blood.  Technically possible?  Maybe.  Recommended? Absolutely not. 

You’re asking a depleted system to perform at peak capacity.    And this matters a lot for adults with ADHD (diagnosed or not), because your brain is constantly managing:

• Stimulation

• Emotional regulation

• Decision-making

• Working memory

• Stress response

That’s a lot going on behind-the-scenes.

The Real Problem: We’re Managing Time, Not Energy

Here’s the shift I want you to think about.  Stop managing your time.  Start managing your energy. 

I know, I know.  Every planner, every productivity guru, every well-meaning friend has told you that you just need better time management. Block your calendar. Prioritize ruthlessly.  Wake up earlier. 

And I’m going to guess, you’ve tried it all, haven’t you? 

You’ve color- coded your calendar.  You’ve set seventeen alarms.  You bought the planner everyone swears by on Instagram.  You might've even laminated something.

And yet…here we are.  

But here's the truth: time management assumes you have consistent energy throughout the day.  It assumes your brain shows up the same way every day.  It assumes that if you just organize your hours better, everything will fall into place.  (You know what they say about assume right?) LOL  (Sorry I couldn’t resist that one)

For ADHD brains? That’s like trying to charge your phone with a frayed cable and wondering why it keeps dying. 

Energy management is different.  Energy management asks: What does my nervous system actually need right now? And let’s include what does my brain need right now?

Hello ADHD!

What restores me versus what depletes me?  Am I working with my brain or against it?

You can have all the time in the world, but if your nervous system is fried, you may not be getting anything meaningful done. 

You’re just busy. Exhausted.  And frustrated that you’re “wasting “time you technically have. 

Why Strategic Rest Is Essential (Not Optional) 

Let’s talk about rest for a second.  Not the kind where you collapse on the couch scrolling your phone because you’re too burnt out to do anything else.  

I’m talking about intentional, strategic rest that actually restores your nervous system.  

For so many of my clients, rest feels like failure.  Like if they’re not producing, achieving, or checking things off the list, they’re falling behind.  The guilt is crushing.  

But here's what the research shows: rest isn’t the opposite of productivity.  Rest is what makes productivity possible. 

When your nervous system is regulated, when you’ve actually allowed yourself to recover, your brain works better.  Your focus sharpens. Your creativity comes back.  Your executive function shows up. 

You’re not fighting yourself every step of the way. 

Strategic rest means understanding what actually fills your tank versus what just numbs you out.  It means recognizing when you need to move your body, when you need silence, when you need connection, and when you need to do absolutely nothing. 

It also means releasing the story that rest is something you have to earn. 

What This Year Could Look Like Instead

So here’s what I’m proposing: instead of adding more to your  plate this year, what if you started with understanding what your brain and body actually need?

What if you protected your energy the way you protect your time?

What if rest wasn’t something you did when everything else was done, but something you build in because you know it’s essential?

Your ADHD brain isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a different operating system that needs different fuel.  And when you start treating it that way, with curiosity, compassion, and strategy, everything shifts.  

Coming Soon: In Part 2 of this series, I’m going to show you exactly what’s draining your ADHD energy (in ways you  might not realize)  and what actually restores it.