We need to stop pretending that every day is a high-functioning, to-do-list-conquering kind of day.
Because some days, a lot of days, honestly, you wake up already tired. Not lazy, not failing, just running on empty in a way that no amount of coffee fully fixes.
I know this feeling well. 😅
Running a blog sounds glamorous until you realize it means sitting at a desk for hours, staring at a screen, pouring mental energy into everything you create.
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By the time the afternoon rolls around, my brain has often checked out completely, even though my body hasn’t moved an inch!
Low energy days are real, they’re valid, and they deserve a better plan than doomscrolling until you feel worse.
The trick I’ve learned is to have a mental list of low-energy activities that don’t demand much but still make you feel like you did something with your time.
Not productive in a hustle-culture way—just intentional enough to feel good about your day without burning out what little energy you have left.
Here are 35 of my favorites.
- Put on a comfort show. Not mindless scrolling; an actual show you love, even the one you’ve seen four times already. No guilt.
- Make a really good hot drink and actually sit down to enjoy it. Not at your desk, not while doing something else. Just sit, sip, and exist for ten minutes.
- Do a gentle stretch or yoga flow. Nothing intense, nothing that requires a sports bra and a playlist. Just a slow, quiet stretch on your bedroom floor. Grow with Jo has some genuinely lovely low-effort options if you need a starting point.
- Tidy one small space. Not a deep clean, not a full reorganization. Just one drawer, one surface, one corner. The sense of calm it brings is disproportionate to the effort.
- Journal without a prompt. Open a blank page and just write whatever is in your head. Stream of consciousness, no structure, no rereading. Just get it out.
- Listen to a podcast you’ve been saving. The ones you bookmark with good intentions and never get around to. Today is the day.
- Take a slow walk outside. Not a workout walk, not a steps goal walk. Just a quiet, no-pressure wander around the block to get some air and reset your nervous system.
- Reorganize your phone. Delete apps you don’t use, clear your camera roll, and organize your folders. Oddly satisfying and requires zero mental energy.
- Read a few chapters of a book. A novel, not something educational. Something you read purely for the pleasure of it.
- Do your skincare routine properly. The full thing, all the steps, without rushing. Treat it like a ritual instead of a checkbox.
- Watch a documentary about something you’re curious about. Nature, true crime, fashion history, anything. Feels more intentional than a random scroll, and you’ll probably learn something interesting.
- Write a list of things you’re grateful for. Even on a low energy day—maybe especially on a low energy day. Three things are enough.
- Rearrange something small in your space. Move a plant, switch up a shelf, swap out a candle. A tiny change can make a room feel fresh without any real effort.
- Draw or doodle with no agenda. You don’t have to be good at it. Put on some music and just move a pen around a page.
- Online window shop for something you’d love one day. A dream wardrobe, a future apartment, a vacation you’ll take eventually. Call it manifestation, call it fun, either way, it costs nothing.
- Send a voice note to a friend. Lower effort than a phone call, more personal than a text, and the connection is genuinely energizing even on tired days.
- Organize your Pinterest boards. Create new ones, rename old ones, and pin things that inspire you. It’s creative without being demanding.
- Take a nap without guilt. A 20-minute rest can genuinely reset your energy levels in a way that pushing through never will. Your body is asking for something — listen to it.
- Run a detox bath. Epsom salts, a good essential oil, warm water, and at least 20 minutes of doing absolutely nothing. Your muscles and your mind will both thank you.
- Make a playlist for a specific mood. A slow morning playlist, a cozy afternoon one, something for your next long drive. Music curation is a genuinely underrated low-energy activity.
- Reread a book you already love. There’s a reason comfort reads exist. Familiar stories are soothing in a way that new ones can’t always be when your brain is tired.
- Do a face mask and just lie down. Put it on, set a timer, and stare at the ceiling for fifteen minutes. That counts as self-care.
- Write out your ideal week. Not a to-do list, more of a vision. What would a really good, balanced week look like for you right now? It’s reflective without being draining.
- Tidy up your email inbox. Unsubscribe from things you never read, delete old threads, and create a folder or two. Annoying in theory, weirdly satisfying in practice.
- Look through old photos. On your phone, on social media, wherever. There’s something quietly joyful about revisiting good memories on a low day.
- Try some gentle breathwork. Box breathing, 4-7-8, even just a few slow deep breaths with your eyes closed. It sounds too simple to work until you actually try it.
- Write a letter you’ll never send. To someone you miss, someone you’re frustrated with, or just your past self. One of the most therapeutic low-energy activities there is.
- Explore a new music artist or album. Pick something recommended by a playlist or a friend and just listen properly, start to finish.
- Do a brain dump. Every thought, worry, task, idea, and random thing taking up mental space—write it all down in one messy, unfiltered list. Clearing it out of your head genuinely reduces mental fatigue.
- Light a candle and just sit. No phone, no screen, no task. Just the candle, the quiet, and a few intentional minutes of doing nothing at all. More restorative than it sounds.
- Research something you’ve always been curious about. A historical event, a person, a place, or a topic you never got around to actually looking into. Low effort curiosity is good for the brain.
- Do a slow, mindful tidy of your bedroom. Fresh sheets, fluffed pillows, surfaces cleared. A calm space genuinely helps a tired mind feel less chaotic.
- Write down three things you want to do when your energy comes back. Keeping a gentle list of future intentions stops good ideas from getting lost and gives you something to look forward to.
- Watch a comfort movie. The kind you can quote, the kind that makes you feel safe. Wrap yourself in a blanket and commit to it fully.
- Do absolutely nothing on purpose. Sit outside, lie on your bed, stare out the window. Rest is not wasted time. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do for tomorrow is properly rest today.
A Note On Low Energy Days
Low energy doesn’t mean low worth.
Some of the most important work you’ll ever do for yourself happens on the quiet, slow, do-nothing days when you finally give your mind and body permission to stop. You don’t owe anyone a full tank every single day.
Pick one thing from this list, do it without guilt, and let that be enough. Because sometimes enough really is enough.
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