Stop Chasing Energy. Stabilise It.

Quick Read: 5 minutes

What You'll Learn:

Why caffeine and adrenaline aren't energy strategies—they're survival tactics
The difference between chasing energy and stabilising it
The 5 energy stabilisers that actually work
How to know if you're chasing vs. stabilising
My new Energy Pattern Decoder - track what you eat and see what it’s doing to your energy.

I lived on adrenaline and caffeine for years. We all did.

In advertising and leadership, that was the job. The pitch, the win, the deadline, the high. Three coffees by 11am wasn't a problem—it was fuel.

And it worked. The rush of a pitch presentation. The adrenaline of a campaign launch. The intensity of back-to-back client meetings.

I thrived on it.

Until perimenopause.

Suddenly, the same adrenaline-caffeine combo that used to power me through 14-hour days was leaving me wired-tired, crashed by 2pm, and staring at my screen unable to form a coherent thought.

The realisation hit hard: This isn't energy anymore. This is just survival.

And I can't survive my way through the next 10 years.

Last Few Weeks Recap (And Why This Week Matters)

We've spent the last two weeks understanding WHY you're exhausted:

Week 1: Sleep alone doesn't fix perimenopause exhaustion—there are hidden energy drains. Blog Here.

Week 2: Your fatigue is coming from three destabilised systems (hormonal, metabolic, nervous). Blog Here.

Week 3 (this week): Now let's talk about HOW to actually create sustainable energy.

Because you know what you're supposed to do. Eat well. Sleep more. Manage stress. Exercise. But when you're exhausted, those things feel impossible. So you do what you have to do: push through. Caffeinate. Force it. And that works. For a while. Until it doesn't.

The Problem: You're Chasing Energy (And It's Exhausting You Further)

Here's what chasing energy looks like:

You wake up tired. Reach for coffee before you've even eaten. Push through the morning on caffeine and willpower. Crash mid-afternoon and reach for more coffee—even though you know it'll mess with your sleep tonight. Force yourself through the rest of the day. Grab a drink of wine because….well…you deserve it right?! Collapse exhausted but wired. Sleep poorly. Wake up tired. Repeat.

You're not creating energy. You're borrowing it.

Every spike comes with a crash. Every push-through depletes tomorrow's reserves. Caffeine gives you a lift, then drops you harder. Sugar spikes your blood sugar, then crashes it. Adrenaline pushes you forward, then leaves you depleted.

You're mining energy, not generating it.

And the well is running dry.

What "Stabilising Energy" Actually Means

There's a fundamental difference between chasing energy and stabilising it.

Chasing energy is about constantly adding fuel to a fire that keeps going out

Stabilising energy is about building a fire that burns steadily all day without constant stoking

The difference is in the questions you ask:

Chasing energy asks: "What can I do RIGHT NOW to feel less tired?"

Stabilising energy asks: "What does my body need to produce energy consistently?"

One is reactive. One is foundational.

One keeps you on a rollercoaster. One gives you a steady baseline.

And in perimenopause, when your energy systems are already destabilised, you need foundation more than you need quick fixes.

The 5 Energy Stabilisers

Heres’s what I know works. These aren't sexy. They're not quick fixes. But they work.

Stabiliser 1: Blood Sugar Stability

We've covered this in Weeks 1 and 2, but it bears repeating because it's THE fastest lever you can pull. When your blood sugar spikes and crashes all day, so does your energy.

Spike. Crash. Spike. Crash.

Every crash drains you. Every spike-crash cycle stresses your system.

What stabilises blood sugar:

Protein at every meal (25-30g—palm-sized portion)
Eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking
Don't eat carbs alone—pair them with protein or fat
Don't skip meals
Cut our processed foods that could contain a lot of hidden sugars

That's it. Not complicated. Just consistent.

Interestingly many foods can impact people in different ways. What I’d like you to do is notice how you feel 2 hours after eating. Steady and clear? That meal supported you. Crashed and foggy? That meal didn't work for your body. If you want to go one step further, try out my new Thrive Energy Pattern Decoder using ChatGPT - it takes the thinking out for you. Simply add in your meals and your energy at the 2hour mark and it will highlight for you the patterns it’s noticing for you. Do you crash after sushi (like I do?) for example?

Timeline: 3-7 days and you'll notice steadier energy, clearer thinking, fewer cravings.

Stabiliser 2: Strategic Caffeine

Caffeine isn't the enemy. How you're using it is.

What chasing energy with caffeine looks like:

Multiple coffees throughout the day
Afternoon caffeine (even though you know it affects sleep)
Coffee on an empty stomach first thing
Using it to override exhaustion instead of addressing it

What stabilising energy with caffeine looks like:

One morning coffee, with or after breakfast (not on empty stomach)
Cut off by noon (caffeine has a 6-hour half-life which means you can still have caffeine in your system up to 6 hours later)
If you need afternoon energy, try a 10-minute walk instead (actually works better) or if you don’t want to go outside, get on the floor, swing your legs up the wall and relax there for 5-10mins - you’d be amazed at the energy you get from this little hack.
Or you could consider going 2-4 weeks without caffeine to reset your adrenal system. Hard, yes. But powerful. And these days there are some really good water filtered decaf versions.

The thing is when you stop using caffeine to override exhaustion, you can actually address WHAT'S making you exhausted. Your sleep improves. Your baseline energy improves. And ironically, you need less caffeine. It's a positive cycle instead of a negative one.

Stabiliser 3: Rest That Actually Restores you

There's a crucial difference between collapsing and restoring.

Collapsing is when you're so exhausted you can't function, so you scroll, Netflix, zone out until you have to move again. Collapsing just passes time. It doesn't restore you.

Restoring is when you intentionally give your nervous system what it needs to actually recover

Here are a few things that actually restores your nervous system:

10-20 minute walk outside (resets your system, natural light supports your cortisol rhythm)
Lying down for 10 minutes WITHOUT screens (rest doesn't have to mean sleep and you could try legs up the wall)
Gentle stretching or restorative yoga
Sitting outside in quiet
Anything that genuinely calms you (not distracts you)

What is important is that you need to do these little hacks BEFORE you're completely depleted. Don't wait until you're running on fumes. Build restoration into your day. Micro-restoration throughout the day beats collapse-and-recover at night. And let’s get real, you CAN find 5mins in your day!

Stabiliser 4: Movement That Energises

This is tricky in perimenopause because the right movement increases energy, but the wrong movement drains you further.

Some movement that will deplete you:

Intense workouts when you're already exhausted
HIIT or bootcamps when your cortisol (stress) is already high
Pushing through fatigue to "earn" rest
Exercise as punishment

Some movement that energises you:

Walking (gentle, restorative, regulates your nervous system)
Strength training 2-3x/week (builds muscle, improves insulin sensitivity, doesn't spike cortisol like intense cardio)
Stretching or yoga
Movement you genuinely enjoy (joy is restorative, not depleting)

The test: Here’s how you know if you are doing the right type of movement for this phase of your life. Ask yourself, how do you feel 2 hours after movement? If you are energised and clear? It supported you. If you are feeling exhausted and depleted? It was too much for your current capacity.

Your capacity changed in perimenopause. What worked at 35 might deplete you at 45. Listen to your body. Not what you think you "should" be able to do.

Stabiliser 5: Sleep That Actually Restores

We've talked about sleep a lot this month. Here's the consolidation: Sleep isn't just about hours in bed. It's about quality restoration.

A recap of the non-negotiables for energy-stabilising sleep:

7-8 hours minimum (this isn't optional)
Same bedtime and wake time, even weekends (stabilises your cortisol rhythm)
Cool, dark room (supports melatonin production)
No screens 1 hour before bed (blue light disrupts sleep hormones)
Wind-down routine (signals to your nervous system it's safe to rest)
Manage evening stress (no news, no work emails, no arguments before bed)

Poor sleep destabilises ALL three energy systems—hormonal, metabolic, and nervous while good sleep, as you can imagine, supports all three.

I say this often to clients and friends, you can eat all the greens in the world, drink your water for the day, walk…in other words do all the ‘right’ things, but if your sleep isn’t great you are working against yourself. Sleep is the foundational health piece to get right.

How to Know If You're Chasing vs. Stabilising

Signs you're CHASING energy:

You need caffeine to function in the morning
Your energy crashes multiple times per day
You rely on sugar, caffeine, or willpower to push through
You reel wired-tired (exhausted but can't relax)
Your sleep doesn't restore you
You have “Good" days followed by crash days
You’re constantly reacting to exhaustion instead of preventing it

Signs you're STABILISING energy:

You wake up with some energy (not perfect, but not zero)
Your energy is relatively steady throughout the day (no dramatic crashes)
You can function without immediate caffeine
Your sleep actually restores you somewhat
Your stress doesn't completely derail you
You feel capable most days (not every day, but most)

You're not aiming for perfect energy. You're aiming for STABLE energy.

Perimenopause will still have fluctuations. Hormones will still shift. Some days will be harder than others. But what I’m trying to show you is that you're building a foundation that can handle the fluctuations instead of being destroyed by them.

What I’d like you to take from this:

Perimenopause destabilised your energy systems. And until now, you have done what you needed to keep functioning. The adrenaline highs that used to fuel you? They worked for decades. But your body has changed. And what used to work now depletes you.

You honestly don't have to live like this anymore. Chasing energy is exhausting. Stabilising energy is sustainable.

Stop borrowing from tomorrow. Start building a foundation.

Because you're not trying to get through the next week. You're building energy for the next decade.

Want to discover YOUR energy patterns? If you want to see how food might be impacting your energy, try this: I've created a free Energy Pattern Decoder (powered by ChatGPT) that helps you track what you eat, how you feel 2 hours later, and spots the patterns you might be missing. It shows you exactly which foods support your energy and which ones drain you—no guessing, just patterns.

Try the Energy Pattern Decoder here and let your body teach you what it needs.

Quick Answers to Your Burning Questions:

Your Questions Answered

Q: Do I really have to give up coffee? A: No. You have to stop RELYING on coffee to override exhaustion. One morning coffee with or after breakfast isn't the problem. Three coffees before noon plus afternoon caffeine to push through—that's the problem. If you can't function without caffeine, that's information that something deeper needs addressing. Try 2-4 weeks without it to reset (try water filtered decaf), then reintroduce strategically. You might find you need less than you think.

Q: What if I try all this and I'm STILL exhausted? A: If you stabilise blood sugar, improve sleep, manage caffeine, add restorative movement, and you're STILL exhausted after 4-6 weeks, that's information. It might mean: your hormones need direct support (HRT, supplements, thyroid testing), you have nutrient deficiencies (iron, vitamin D, B12), or there's an underlying health issue (thyroid, autoimmune, chronic infection). Don't push through—get tested. But most women see meaningful improvement from these foundational stabilisers alone.

Q: Is stable energy even realistic during perimenopause? A: Yes. Not PERFECT energy—perimenopause will always have fluctuations. But stable, sustainable, baseline energy? Absolutely. You're not trying to feel 25 again. You're trying to feel capable, clear-headed, and functional most days. That's realistic. And that's what these stabilisers create. The women who stabilise their energy don't eliminate all fatigue—they just stop living on the edge of collapse.

Q: How do I rest during the day when I have a full-time job and responsibilities? A: Micro-restoration fits into real life. 10-minute walk at lunch. Lying down for 5 minutes before picking up kids. Sitting in your car for 10 minutes before going inside after work. Standing outside for 5 minutes between meetings. You don't need an hour at a spa. You need small pockets of genuine rest throughout the day. Protect them like they're meetings. Because they are—with your nervous system.