How to Conserve and Recharge Your Brain's Energy

Your phone just alerted you that it has 10% battery left. What do you do?

Nothing. Keep scrolling Instagram and TikTok, check your email, do your Wordle. Let your phone battery die.

Conserve Energy. Quit all those apps you have open, turn down the brightness. If you’re really concerned, you may even turn on airplane mode or completely turn off your phone until you’ll really need it.

Recharge. It’s time to find a charger and give it some new energy.

Your brain is not much different.

When you spend hours sitting in the same chair staring at a screen day after day, your brain may be low on battery. It might surprise you to learn that it does send you clear messages like your phone that says “10% battery.” Those signs include feeling fidgety and more distracted than usual. Hunger. Feeling tired and unable to focus. And you have three options.

Do nothing and burn yourself out. Letting your brain wear its energy down to zero is getting yourself to the feeling of complete exhaustion. Having your third cup of coffee for the day. Falling asleep at your desk. Working from bed until you need to turn the lights off and go to sleep.

Conserve Energy is making time for non-work rest. If you’re feeling tired and low-energy, you may need to spend less of your energy trying to gather your focus and push yourself through your tasks and use that energy to relax. Take a walk, do some meditation. Turn your brain off work mode. Resting is like putting your brain on “do not disturb” and conserving your battery.

Recharge is creating new energy for yourself. This will depend on the person but this is actually requires you to be active. Move your body and stretch. Do a longer exercise or workout. Make yourself a good lunch or snack (you know, not like 3 Oreos and a coffee). Play some music and dance. Create something– write or draw or paint or collage. Connect with another human you care about. Have a little celebration. Go to sleep!

At Caveday, we’ve designed every work sprint to include a little energy conservation and recharging. There’s a difference between unplugging and recharging. We know that it feels good to be productive and work hard and accomplish everything and more on your to-do list. But while you’re thinking about that, we’re thinking about your energy management. Come to the Cave so you can focus on what matters to you. We’ll be thinking about everything else to support you in that..

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Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.