How can I keep refilling my energy so I don’t become depleted?

A powerful question I received in my last newsletter was from Dr. Linda Ncube- Nkomo.

"How do we constantly fill up so we don’t get to a point of energy depletion?"  

I love this question because it challenges the assumption that exhaustion is inevitable. It invites us to shift from crisis management—only replenishing when we’ve hit empty—to proactive energy stewardship.  

Here’s what I know: Sustaining energy isn’t about managing time better. It’s about managing your personal ecosystem.  

Audit your energy: What’s draining vs. What’s fueling?  

Most of us focus on how much time we have in a day, but the real currency of leadership, creativity, and impact is energy. Before we can prevent depletion, we need to understand where energy is leaking.  

Try this simple “Energy Audit” I learned from my mentor Rich Litvin:  

- Energisers: What activities, people, environments, or routines replenish you?  

- Drainers: What consistently leaves you feeling depleted, heavy, or resentful?  

- Neutrals: What neither energises nor drains you but fills space?  

Take a week to track this. The patterns will reveal your biggest leverage points for renewal.  

Stop leaking energy where you don’t need to  

Often, depletion isn’t from doing too much—it’s from “over-functioning” in areas that don’t require our attention. Ask yourself:  

Where am I giving energy that isn’t being reciprocated? 

Am I solving problems that aren’t mine to solve? 

Am I holding tension for things that don’t align with my highest priorities?  

One of my personal breakthroughs has been noticing when I’m leaning forward too much—trying to “carry” others instead of holding space for them to step up. When I shift back into my own presence, my energy stays intact.  

Fill up before you’re empty  

Many high-achievers only allow themselves to rest once they’ve hit burnout. The real mastery is learning to receive energy before depletion happens.  

This means building in small, intentional refuelling practices. Here are my favourites:  

- Micro-rest: Instead of waiting for a holiday to recover, weave in 5-minute resets throughout the day—step outside, breathe deeply, close your eyes, stretch. 

- Rituals over rewards: If your self-care is a reward for exhaustion, it’s too late. Daily rituals (morning pages, movement, music, meditation) keep your energy steady. 

- Deep nourishment: Not just food, but what feeds your soul—books, nature, creativity, presence with loved ones.  

Your zone of genius is your power source

A final, often-overlooked truth: the more time you spend in your zone of genius, the more energy you have.

Many leaders are drained not because they’re overworked, but because they’re over-extended in things outside their true genius. If something consistently depletes you, it may not be yours to carry.

While passing through Schiphol Airport, I came across this painting, and I instantly felt my energy bubble up inside me. It reminded me that energy isn’t something we passively receive—it’s something we can generate ourselves. Just like this intricate, flowing design, our energy expands when we align with what fuels us most. When we tap into our zone of genius, we stop consuming energy and start creating it.

This is why I constantly return to the Zone of Genius Framework—because when you align with what you are truly meant to do, you create energy instead of depleting it.

Mirror moment: Where am I replenishing from the future, not the past? 

Recently, I had a profound realisation at a Joe Dispenza retreat: I had been filling up by pulling from the past—old narratives, old strategies—rather than receiving from my future. 

What if instead of refuelling based on what drained us, we fuelled ourselves from the vision we’re creating? From the expansion we’re stepping into?  

That’s where I’m playing now. I invite you to do the same.  

What about you?  

- Where are you leaking energy that you no longer need to?  

- What fills you up before you’re empty?  

- How can you refuel from the future, rather than recovering from the past?  

Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear.  

Love,

Rita

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