Feeding Your Energy, Not Just Your Schedule
When we think about energy, the first things that usually come to mind are a battery, a power plant, or maybe even that Beyoncé song. Energy is something external, something we plug into or turn on. But how often do we stop to think about energy sources which are actually beneficial for our bodies?
Real energy doesn’t only come from electricity or caffeine. It comes from food that nourishes us, a call with a friend who knows us well, or a workout that gets our blood flowing. These are the things that recharge us in ways no shortcut ever can. But somehow, in our day to day lives, these are often the first things we sacrifice.
If you think about it, most of us are awake for roughly sixteen hours a day. On paper, that sounds like a lot of time. But once you subtract a 9–5 job or for some, a 9–8 commuting, responsibilities, and basic survival tasks, the time that truly belongs to us shrinks fast. What’s left is often way less than eight hours, and those hours are usually spent tired, overstimulated, and depleted. So where do we find the time to work out, to call a friend, or to prepare a well-balanced meal? The honest answer is uncomfortable but simple, and scary at the same time: people make time for the things they consider important. And one of those things should be our bodies. Not in a performative way, not for aesthetics or productivity, but because this is the one place we have to live in for the rest of our lives.
It’s easier, of course, to buy a pre-made salad from the grocery store than to cook. It’s easier to take the elevator instead of the stairs for just one or two floors. Sending a trillion memes might technically count as staying in touch, but it often only reassures your friend that you’re still alive but not that you’re truly present. These choices aren’t wrong, but the question is: are they enough?
When did we stop putting effort into a well-balanced meal, a 45-minute workout, or even a simple phone call? Simon Sinek once mentioned that he and a friend have a rule: when one of them is struggling, they only need eight minutes from the other. Just eight minutes of real presence. It sounds easy, yet somehow it feels harder than ever. Instead, many of us choose isolation. We doom scroll. We order food without thinking. We disconnect. From the world, from our friends, and eventually from our own bodies. Good nutrition matters. Checking in on a friend matters. Thirty minutes on the treadmill matters. These things may seem small, but over time they compound.
Starting your day with something as simple as a cup of warm water can already support your body. And if you have time… no, when you make time, fifteen minutes of stretching can do more for your joints and bones than you realize, especially later on in life. Food doesn’t have to be complicated either: half an avocado, a boiled egg, some grilled chicken with cherry tomatoes, or maybe edamame beans. Simple, accessible, nourishing. And most importantly, energizing. When you’re on the go, choosing a salmon bowl over a sausage roll might cost a bit more in the moment. But poor health is way more expensive.
So maybe this reflection sounds dramatic. Maybe it’s just January, with its collective urge to reset and reassess. Or maybe it’s a quiet reminder that energy isn’t something we find outside of ourselves but it’s something we actively create, every single day, through the choices we make.
And the real question is not whether we have time. It’s whether we’re willing to make it.