How’s Your Energy?
When it comes to music, I have three great loves: 90s/2000s country music, Hamilton and a few other musicals, and Taylor Swift. Love her or hate her, she’s proven to be a musical mastermind and has shown herself to be a generous, savvy business woman. If you’ve been on any social media platform at all this week, you’ve hopefully seen that we are getting her twelfth album in October!! (At some point, I will absolutely write a post about her music’s impact on my life because the appreciation runs deep. Bring on all the friendship bracelets and yes, I do wear them on a regular basis because they bring me joy.) Taylor also made her debut appearance on the Kelce brothers New Heights Podcast and said the most profound statement about energy.
In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the quote in its’ entirety:
“You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive, as if it’s a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it. Not everyone has invested in you in order to be able to have the capital for you to care about this because what you spend your energy on—that’s the day.”
— Taylor Swift, New Heights podcast, Business InsiderThe Washington Post
When Taylor Swift said, “You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive…”, I literally stopped what I was doing — not because of the words themselves, but because the sentiment hits home for anyone who's ever felt stretched thin. Especially moms.
Next best thing when you can’t Eras Tour tickets - support local live music!
Why Energy So Often Feels Cheap (But Isn’t)
Because for many of us, it’s treated like a freebie.
Work: Meeting deadlines, checking emails, constantly switching tasks—our energy is the unsung hero of productivity.
Motherhood: From school drop-offs to emotional check-ins, our energy fuels both the big and the tiny.
Caregiving: When others in our extended family need support too, every ounce of energy becomes precious.
Friendships, marriage, mental load: We fill every role, every day—often at the cost of what's left for ourselves.
In the chaos, our energy feels bottomless—or worse, expendable. But Taylor reminds us it’s not.
Why Energy Is Your Most Valuable Currency
1. It's Finite
Unlike tasks that can be delegated, energy doesn’t refill itself automatically. You have to be intentional about engaging in activities that refill and replenish that well. Sleep is a huge factor for me when it comes to refuel my energy levels, mostly because so much of the work I do is mental strategy, long-term projects, and organizational development. My brain is mushy oatmeal by the end of some days! Use too much, and you're running on fumes.
2. It Defines Your Days
Taylor nails it when she says: “What you spend your energy on, that's the day.” Each moment is powered by your energy—even the moments you don’t notice. So when I can’t get out of my head about a silly mistake I made that I promise no one even remembers by 5:30pm that day, I’ve used so much of my energy up. That’s the day!
3. Guarding It Benefits Everyone
A rested, present you is infinitely more impactful than a depleted one. It’s not selfish—it’s essential—for you and everyone who depends on you. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s critical that you guard your energy.
Luxury Doesn’t Mean Lavish - it Means Deliberately Curated
Treating your energy like a luxury doesn’t mean buying candles or escaping to a retreat (though that’d be amazing). It means being intentional about where you spend it.
Here’s some ideas of how to do that:
1. Create an Energy Budget
Start looking at your day like a calendar of energy. What drains you? What recharges you? Make conscious choices about where to spend your limited reserves. I also try to schedule all of my challenging conversations in the morning to a) rip the bandaid off and b) have time to recoup my mental and emotional energy in the afternoon before switching hats to be mom and wife. One of the ways I refuel my energy during the day is to use part of my lunchtime to get a workout and walk in.
2. Say “No” with Intention
Not every ask deserves your energy. Get comfortable with saying:
“No, I’m prioritizing quiet today.”
“No, I don’t have the bandwidth.”
Even just, “Not today.”
Choosing “no” doesn’t make you selfish - it keeps you emotionally solvent.
3. Notice and Preserve Little Luxuries
Ten minutes of silence. A perfect cup of coffee. A shower whose water’s still hot. These micro-moments are a luxury - notice and preserve them.
4. Delegate to Protect Energy
Let someone else deal with dinner, dishes, or bedtime rituals, even if they don’t do it exactly how you would do it. Preserving energy is worth the imperfect peace.
5. Recharge Smartly
Refill energy with what fuels you and not necessarily what’s socially sanctioned. A playlist that makes YOU dance, not the Disney Favorites that you’re stuck listening to in the car because it will keep the peace with the Littlest Mermaid. A quick walk. A snack in the car. Choose what truly restores you, not what society tries to dictate. (Sidenote: the “self-care” industry is a multi-billion dollar one and I’m all for getting my nails done…but do some reflection on what really recharges you. It’s usually not something we can find in a store!)
Sound familiar?
“I can’t remember the last time I drank my coffee while it was still warm.”
“Getting five minutes alone in the bathroom feels like hitting the spa jackpot.”
If any of that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Prioritizing your energy isn't indulgent. It’s you working on your skill set of adapting to meet life’s demands. You are the conductor of your life’s energy and you get to choose how it's spent, preserved, and replenished. Treating your energy as expensive is not vanity. It’s wisdom.
Love you, mean it friends.
