Is Your Schedule Draining You? How to Build an Energy-Reset Routine This Summer

A few summers ago, I found myself feeling depleted by 2pm every day—even on the weekends. I was sleeping well, eating clean, and even skipping my usual packed schedule. Still, I felt foggy and unmotivated. It wasn’t burnout. It was misalignment.

When I finally paused to assess my days, I realized my schedule was full of things that drained me and missing the things that restored me. I was getting things done—but I wasn’t getting what I needed.

If you’ve been feeling a similar low-grade fatigue, summer is the perfect time to recalibrate. Not just with a vacation—but by redesigning your everyday routine around energy, not just efficiency.

The Summer Drain

Many high achievers assume summer will be easier. Fewer meetings. Slower pace. More daylight. But unless we actively shift our rhythms, we tend to bring our hustle habits right into the sunshine.

And that’s where the slow burnout creeps in.

Research shows that circadian rhythms, hormonal patterns, and even emotional processing can shift with the seasons (Roenneberg et al., 2012). If we don’t shift our routines to match, we lose energy by fighting against our natural cycles.

Tip 1: Designate a Daily Reset Block

Why It Works: Intentional rest can interrupt the buildup of stress and prevent emotional exhaustion. A planned pause is more effective than waiting until you collapse (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015).

How to Use It: Choose a consistent time—midday or late afternoon—and block 15–30 minutes for restoration. No errands. No screens. Just something that nourishes you: a walk, a nap, a chapter of a book, or quiet tea.

Try This: Add a daily calendar event called “Energy Reset.” Treat it like a non-negotiable meeting.

Tip 2: Swap Tasks Based on Your Energy Curve

Why It Works: Energy—not time—is your most precious resource. Studies show that aligning demanding tasks with high-energy periods improves performance and reduces fatigue (Schmidt et al., 2007).

How to Use It: Track your natural energy peaks and dips for 3 days. Do your most creative or challenging tasks when your energy is highest.

Try This: Shift admin tasks (like emails or scheduling) to lower-energy times and preserve your best energy for meaningful work.

Tip 3: Make Room for Joyful Movement

Why It Works: Movement isn’t just about fitness—it helps complete the stress cycle and lifts mood by releasing endorphins (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2019).

How to Use It: Add low-pressure movement to your routine: dancing to one song, a 10-minute yoga video, or stretching in the sun.

Try This: Choose a cue (like brushing your teeth or ending a Zoom call) to remind you to move for 5 minutes. Let it be joyful, not another task.

Realignment Over Hustle

Summer is a season of light, warmth, and growth. But it won’t reset you automatically. If you want to feel better, you have to build better rhythms. Create a daily reset. Listen to your energy. Make room for joy.

Your body already knows what you need. Are you listening?

References

Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Ballantine Books.

Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., & Merrow, M. (2012). Life between clocks: Daily temporal patterns of human chronotypes. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 18(1), 80–90.

Schmidt, R. E., et al. (2007). Time-based prospective memory and time perception in individuals with burnout. Psychological Research, 71(6), 651–659.

Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2015). Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72–S103.