There are seasons when energy dips, motivation softens, and everything feels a little heavier than usual. Often, this shows up quietly: you feel less inspired, more tired, slower to start, or emotionally flat. And especially in the weeks after the New Year, when fresh goals and expectations collide with winter’s slower rhythm, it’s easy to wonder if something is wrong with you. But here’s an important reframe:

Not every low point is a problem to fix. Some are invitations to respond differently.

Just as nature moves through cycles of growth, rest, shedding, and renewal, we do too. Winter doesn’t ask the trees to bloom: it asks them to conserve, nourish, and restore. Yet modern life rarely honors this rhythm. We’re encouraged to stay productive, positive, and forward-moving at all times, even when our bodies and nervous systems are signaling a need to slow down. Understanding this distinction is the first step toward navigating low-energy seasons with more compassion and clarity.

Why Low Energy Happens (and Why It’s Not a Failure)

Periods of low motivation and energy are a normal part of the human experience. They can be influenced by many factors: emotional processing, physical health, stress, life transitions, or external conditions like weather and seasonal shifts. These dips don’t automatically mean burnout or regression. Often, they simply mean your system is asking for recalibration. The key is self-awareness: noticing what kind of low point you’re in.

There’s a difference between:

• needing rest and nourishment, and
• spiraling into disconnection or self-criticism

When we slow down enough to listen, we can respond intentionally rather than forcing ourselves through resistance. This is where supportive tools — not pressure — become essential.

Introducing the “Feel Good Menu”

One simple tool I return to during low-energy seasons is what I call a “Feel Good Menu.” A Feel Good Menu is a personal list of activities that reliably help you feel more grounded, comforted, or connected — especially on days when deciding what you need feels difficult. It’s not about fixing yourself. It’s not about forcing positivity. And it’s not about productivity.

It’s about support.

When energy is low, decision fatigue is real. A Feel Good Menu removes the need to think or analyze in the moment — it gives you options you already know work. Think of it as a gentle form of self-trust: “When I feel like this, here are a few things that help.”

How to Create Your Own Feel Good Menu (Simply)

Creating a Feel Good Menu doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, simplicity is what makes it effective.

Here’s a gentle way to begin:

• List activities that genuinely lift your spirits, soothe your nervous system, or help you feel more like yourself. Not what “should” work — what actually does.
• Notice different energy levels. Some days call for quiet, nourishing activities; others allow for movement or connection.
• Keep the list visible and accessible — in a journal, your phone, or somewhere you’ll remember it’s there.

Your menu might include things like:

• a short walk
• journaling or reflective writing
• listening to music
• time in nature
• a warm drink and a pause
• gentle movement or stretching
• creative expression
• rest without guilt

The goal isn’t to do everything — it’s to choose one small, supportive action when energy is low. Even ten or twenty minutes can shift how the rest of your day feels.

Using Your Menu as a Form of Self-Trust

A Feel Good Menu is more than a list — it’s a relationship with yourself. Over time, you may notice patterns:

• which activities help most when you’re emotionally drained
• which ones restore energy when you feel disconnected
• which ones no longer serve you

Let your menu evolve. As your needs change, so will the forms of care that support you best. This practice isn’t about avoiding low moments — it’s about knowing how to meet yourself when they arrive. And that’s a powerful form of resilience.

Navigating Life’s Ebbs and Flows with Intention

Low-energy seasons don’t mean you’re falling behind. They don’t mean you’re failing. And they don’t mean you need to push harder. They often mean it’s time to listen, nourish, and respond with care. Your Feel Good Menu gives you a way to do that — gently, practically, and without judgment. When you know how to support yourself through the dips, you move through life with more steadiness and trust. Not because things are always easy, but because you know how to meet yourself when they aren’t. That’s what living by design looks like, not constant momentum, but intentional response.

Be kind to yourself in this season. Sometimes, that kindness is exactly what carries you forward.

EXPLORE MORE of Danielle’s work HERE.
LATEST Power Hour, a free monthly workshop with Danielle — THIS WAY.