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There’s a myth we need to break—right now.

High energy doesn’t mean being at a 10 all the time.

(And if it does? You’re probably more burnt out than alive. Flat lines, after all, are for heart monitors—not humans.)

Your energy will ebb and flow. It’s meant to. You’re cyclical. You’re human. There will be days when you feel invincible, and others when even answering a text feels like too much.

The secret isn’t to force yourself to always show up at your best.
The secret is learning how to work with your energy—not against it.

But here’s the challenge: we live in a culture that demands consistency, perfection, “just show up.”
So when your energy drops, guilt creeps in.
You start beating yourself up for slowing down—when what you really need is to lean in to rest.

That guilt doesn’t motivate you.
It drains you even more.

So today, I want to shift the frame:
Let me show you how to prepare for your low days.
​How to approach them with care instead of shame.
And how to actually get the most out of them—without burning through your emotional reserves.

Because you can build a rhythm that fuels your life, not fights it.

🧰 Prepare for Your Low Days (aka: Your Low Energy Day Kit)

You don’t wait until you’re starving to go grocery shopping—so why wait until you’re depleted to figure out how to care for yourself?

Here’s how to build your Low Energy Day Kit. Not in the moment. But before you need it. So when your energy drops, you’re not scrambling… you’re supported.

🍲 1. Stock Up on Stick-in-the-Oven Meals (and Yes—Skittles Count)

On your good days, when you’re feeling inspired in the kitchen or just made a big batch of something cozy—freeze it. Think future-you. Think warmth and nourishment without the effort. Like canning your extra energy for winter.

The goal: minimal actions, zero decisions.

When you’re low, every small task (choosing a delivery app, deciding what to order, justifying it) takes energy you don’t have. Make it easy to nurture yourself. Pull something from the freezer, pop it in the oven, and rest while it warms.

And in true emergency mode? Go for that little package of Skittles or your feel-good snack of choice. Yes, even the "bad" ones. Pleasure has power. Let it spark a little light.

🎬 2. Keep a Go-To Movie List

Think of this like a playlist for your nervous system.

Movies that make you laugh. Movies that make you cry (yes, the cathartic ones count - as you can have a good outside reason to cry about what is inside of you). Movies that remind you that you’re okay, even if you’re not okay right now.

The goal: have the list ready. So you’re not doom-scrolling Netflix, wasting precious energy deciding what to watch. That indecision? It drains you.

This is your permission slip: don’t try to learn something. Don’t “be productive.” Just feel. Escape. Release. Let something else hold the emotion for a while.

🤝 3. Call in the Friends Who Just “Get It”

Not the fixer. Not the coach. Not the “you should…” voice.

You want the friend who shows up in sweats, brings food, presses play, takes out your trash, and says, “We’re good. I’m here.”

That kind of presence? Is medicine.

If you’ve got one or two of those humans—cherish them. Ask them ahead of time if they’d be your “low-day lifeline.” If you don’t have them nearby (I get it—after moving countries, my support circle’s now scattered across continents), begin building this. It’s worth it.

These aren’t just people. They’re infrastructure. Support scaffolding for your future self to lean on.

Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t have a dozen friends who will drop everything, show up at our door, and just be with us—without fixing, advising, or expecting us to be “on.”

But wouldn’t it be amazing if we did?

I’m tinkering with an idea: a women’s support group that does exactly that. Something that can start online—like a Women’s Circle for showing up as you are, being witnessed, being held. Then maybe, one day, a local offline circle here in Seattle, like I used to do it in Ukraine

Because here’s the thing: women didn’t use to do life alone. We cooked together. Raised kids together. Tended gardens together. Grieved together. We grew up and through life as a village. And now, we’re hyper-independent and completely unsupported when life gets hard.

Maybe we can bring some of that back. Start something small and sacred.

And maybe one day, even create a circle where any woman, no matter how long we've known her, can be nurtured in her moment of need.

💸 4. A $1000 Cushion (or… Whatever You Can Start With)

I don’t literally mean $1000. I mean a baseline of support—an emergency fund that buys you breathing room.

Too many women I know can’t afford a day off. They run on fumes until the system crashes. And then… there's nothing to catch them.

So start small. Could you save enough to take one guilt-free, work-free day? Then build to a week. A month. Three. Six.

When your body and soul say “enough,” you’ll have the means to listen—without spiraling into panic. That’s real power. That’s what support looks like. And yes, it's a slow build—but it's worth it.

🔄 5. Systems That Run Without You

This is the holy grail of sustainability: life and work systems that keep going, even when you can’t.

I get it—this feels far off. Passive income, automated workflows, a business that keeps rolling while you rest… sounds dreamy, right?

But you don’t get there by wishing. You get there by starting tiny.

Right now, I’m watching and learning from Kate Kordsmeier’s $1K/day experiment, where she’s documenting (in real time!) her ups and downs toward building a business that generates $1000 daily. She’s not there yet—but she’s showing the messy middle, not just the polished success story. That’s rare. That’s inspiring. And I am gladly paying to learn from her. And she is very candid and open in her public blog posts with income reports.

And you know what? I’m tempted to do the same.

Maybe document my own journey to 115 workdays a year—what it takes, what breaks, and how I build toward it while honoring both ambition and energy.

Would you want to follow along with something like that?

🌧 When the Low Day Comes—Let It

Don’t resist. Don’t apologize. Don’t perform your strength.

Let the masks rest with you.

Pull out the meal. Put on the movie. Tap into the emergency fund. Call the friend. Let yourself be the little girl who needs tenderness—not the strong woman who keeps it all together.

And then—listen.

Low energy makes us tender. We notice what hurts more clearly. We feel the sand in the shoe, the pea under the mattress. Pay attention. Write it down.

What feels heavy?
What drains you?
What do you wish wasn’t on your plate?

And then—on a high energy day—remove it. Fix it. Delegate it. Redesign your life to be more gentle the next time your energy dips.

This is how we rise.

On high days, we prep for low ones. We make emergency energy fund. Build systems. Clear the path.

On low days, we let ourselves rest and see clearly. We heal. We listen.

And little by little, this is how we raise both your ceiling and your floor.
This is how you raise your average energy—and your life.

Let me know:
💌 Would you want to follow a public journal on how I’m moving toward 115 workdays per year?
Just hit reply and say “I’m in.” I’ll see who’s interested.

With grace (and permission to nap),
​Olena

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