Energy Trading: How to Audit Your Energy Account and Take Back Your Day

Hi, GoodHuman! I’m so glad you’re here.

Have you ever felt a thick, heavy morning dread that keeps you in bed until the absolute last minute—forcing you to face the exact life you were trying to escape?

Are you caught in a cycle of using sleep as a way to delay reality, hoping that just a little more rest will make it all feel better?

👋🏼 I’ve been there. I get it.

And if you’re anything like me—a healthcare provider, or a teacher, a parent, or anyone with a long list of responsibilities—you probably recognize how this cycle sets the tone for your entire day. That drained, detached feeling follows you into work, into your relationships, and into everything you do. You know you have more to give, and you want to give more, but you simply don’t have the energy.

This is where the concept of Energy Trading comes in. While other habit and behavior tools often focus on labeling actions as good or bad, I found that approach to be discouraging and limiting (and TBH a bit triggering for my perfectionism). Instead, I reframed it into something more empowering—a spending story.

Rather than judging my behaviors, I started viewing them as transactions. This gave me the freedom to choose rather than feeling trapped in a cycle of self-criticism. If I had extra energy to spend, scrolling on my phone or engaging in a challenging conversation didn’t feel as costly. But if my energy account was already drained, those same activities could put me further into an emotional deficit.

With Energy Trading, I was in control—just like managing money. Because let’s be real, sometimes we splurge on something simply because we want to, not because it's inherently good or bad. The same goes for energy. By visualizing my Energy Bank Account, I could see where I was making deposits, when I was withdrawing, and how to budget for future spending sprees.

What Is Energy Trading?

Energy Trading is a commodity based trading system I created to help manage my time and protect my energy. As someone with empathic and people-pleasing tendencies, I found myself constantly giving—without refilling my own cup. I needed a way to visualize where my energy was going, understand what activities drained me, and recognize what actions helped me recharge. 

Think of it as an energy budget—just like money, you can spend, save, and invest your energy. The key is making sure you’re not always in an energy deficit, because just like financial debt, emotional debt can leave you completely depleted.

Let’s Break It Down with Some Examples:

Morning Energy Transactions

• Snooze the alarm → (-) Energy spent
• Wake up with regret for wasting the morning → (-) Energy spent
• Get out of bed and start the day → (+) Energy earned
• Move your body (even just stretching) → (+) Energy boost
• Skip your workout → (-) Energy lost

Workday Energy Transactions

• Listen to music or talk to someone who fuels you on the way to work → (+) Energy earned
• Engage in draining conversations or vent excessively → (-) Energy spent
• Help a patient, student, or coworker in a meaningful way → (+) Energy gained
• Scroll mindlessly on your phone → (-) Energy drain

Evening Energy Transactions

• Cook a nourishing, satisfying meal → (+) Energy replenished
• Eat standing up, snacking from the pantry → (-) Energy lost
• Take a walk, spend time outdoors → (+) Energy gained
• Pile up the dishes with the promise of doing them in the morning → (-) Double energy drain (now and later)
• Doom scroll or mindlessly shop online → (-) Energy wasted

By auditing where your energy goes, you can start making intentional choices to shift your daily balance toward energy earning instead of energy spending.

Your Energy Audit Starts Now

Before we dive into the next steps of overcoming morning paralysis and rebuilding your energy reserves, let’s do an audit.

For the next 24 hours, take note of where your energy is going—what activities are draining you, and what’s replenishing you? Keep it simple. Start each day at neutral (for now) and track your deposits and withdrawals.

The goal? Recognizing patterns so we can intentionally shift into an energy surplus and ultimately, Become BetterHumans.

And if this concept resonates with you, I’m working on something special—a future newsletter designed to help you build an energy-positive life with mindset shifts, tools, and real-life strategies.

✨ Subscribe and join the waitlist to be the first to know when it launches! You won’t want to miss this journey of Becoming a BetterHuman. ✨

To those of you who have already subscribed—thank you. Your support means the world to me, and I’m so excited to be on this journey with you. I can’t wait to grow, learn, and support each other in designing lives that feel full of energy, purpose, and joy. Here’s to Becoming BetterHumans together! 💛

P.S. Writing this blog gives me insane energy deposits—it fuels me in ways I can’t even describe. But because I know how much energy it requires, I make a conscious effort to budget for it. Leading up to my writing days, I prioritize the activities that refill my energy account—whether that’s movement, nourishing food, quality time with people who lift me up, or simply creating space for rest. It’s a reminder that even the things we love take energy, and being intentional about how we spend and earn it makes all the difference.

With Love and Energy, 

Taryn