Your Midlife Energy Audit 🔋🪫

How to Track What Really Drains (and Refills) You

We’ve all asked the question: “Why am I so tired all the time?”

The easy answer is: life is a lot. Work, caregiving, invisible load, hormone shifts, the news cycle dumpster fire — it’s enough to exhaust anyone.

But here’s the truth: energy isn’t just about how much sleep you got last night. It’s about how your body, mind, spirit, and nervous system are responding to everything you do — all day long.

That’s why I love guiding women through a simple Energy Audit Activity. It helps you spot where your energy is being drained (sometimes in sneaky ways) and where it’s being restored.

Pay Attention in Real Time

For one or two days, notice your energy level while you’re doing daily activities.

Ask yourself questions like:

• How do I feel after 30 minutes of emails?

• What happens to my energy after a phone call with my mom or teenager?

• Do I feel better or worse after a workout? (The answer may surprise you.)

• What about when I eat lunch — do I feel fueled, or do I crash?

Use a notebook, your phone, or even voice memos. Jot down a quick word or emoji rating: ⚡️ (energized), 😐 (meh), 🪫 (drained).

Notice the Time of Day

Our energy isn’t flat across 24 hours — it’s cyclical. Hormones, circadian rhythm, and even food timing play a role.

• Morning: Do you wake up refreshed or groggy?

• Afternoon: Do you hit a wall at 3 pm, or is that your creative peak?

• Evening: Does your body ask for winding down, or are you wired and restless?

Tracking when you feel your best and worst is just as important as what you’re doing.

Spot the Patterns

After a day or a few, look back at your notes. Do you see patterns?

• Certain activities that always drain you (looking at you, group texts).

• Times of day you’re naturally lower energy.

• Habits that give you a boost (a short walk, journaling, laughing with a friend).

This isn’t about judgment — it’s about awareness. When you know what drains and what fuels, you can make small shifts that protect your healthspan.

Connect It to Midlife Realities

Midlife is when energy awareness becomes essential. Why?

• Perimenopause hormone shifts change how our body manages sleep, metabolism, and stress.

• Family roles are in flux — kids are growing up, parents are aging, caregiving intensifies.

• The invisible load is relentless — the mental tabs don’t close themselves.

Without awareness, it’s easy to think you’re just “burned out” or “lazy.” In reality, your body and nervous system are giving you data.

Make a Micro-Shift

Once you see the patterns, pick just one thing to try:

• Shift your hardest task to the time of day when you naturally have more energy.

• Add a short “reset” ritual after an energy-draining call or errand.

• Protect 20 minutes in the evening for real rest — not screens.

Tiny, consistent adjustments ripple out into better hormone balance, calmer nervous system regulation, and more energy for what actually matters.

The Bigger Picture

This is what my 802h Healthspan Method™ is all about: creating simple, sustainable personalized systems that help you conserve and restore energy — instead of running on fumes.

Your time is precious. Your energy is even more precious. And you deserve to notice, protect, and invest it in a life that feels good — not just one that keeps the plates spinning. 🧡

🔬 Evidence from Research ~ just a few examples

1. Stress leads to inflammation and cognitive decline in midlife women Inflammatory biomarkers (CRP and IL-6) mediate the negative effects of perceived stress on executive functioning. This effect was found only in women, suggesting heightened vulnerability to stress-induced inflammation and cognitive decline (Jurgens & Hayes, 2023).

2. Perceived stress influences inflammation via cortisol dysregulation Stress flattens the cortisol rhythm, which in turn leads to increased inflammation biomarkers like CRP and IL-6. This supports the psychoneuroimmunological model of stress and immune dysfunction (Knight et al., 2021).

3. Allostatic load rises due to psychosocial stress in midlife women Discrimination, perceived stress, and hostility predicted increased allostatic load (cumulative biological stress). Race and socioeconomic status indirectly influenced these outcomes through psychosocial factors (Upchurch et al., 2015).

4. Daily stress is a key predictor of midlife depression risk Daily stress exposure and affective responses were strong predictors of depression in midlife women. Stress-management interventions targeting these daily processes may improve long-term mental health outcomes (Stawski et al., 2022).

5. Postmenopausal women may be more sensitive to stress-related inflammation After acute psychological stress, postmenopausal women showed greater increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) than men, suggesting heightened immune reactivity in this group (Prather et al., 2009).

6. Midlife minority women face compounded stress due to systemic factors Black women at midlife reported major stressors related to work, finances, parenting, and racialized gender expectations. This chronic stress contributes to long-term health disparities (Jones et al., 2019).

7. Culturally adapted stress interventions show promise A tailored intervention for midlife Black women (B-SWELL) that focused on stress reduction and lifestyle change improved perceived stress, mental health, and physical health markers (Jones et al., 2022).