Time Blocking Isn't Enough (Try Energy Blocking Too)

Genie Love • November 5, 2025

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This one's for you if you've time-blocked your day perfectly... and still feel like you're fighting against your brain.



You've got the time chunks. You know when you're supposed to work on things. You've followed all the advice about blocking out 90-minute segments for hard tasks.



But your brain doesn't cooperate. Sometimes you have the energy for deep work. Sometimes you don't.



And you end up staring at your calendar, frustrated that you can't just power through like you're "supposed to."



Here's what I've learned about working WITH your brain's natural rhythms



If you have ADHD or autism, your brain likely doesn't work consistently throughout the day.



Think of a car on cruise control - your brain probably doesn't do that.



Your brain revs up higher in some parts of the day. It revs down much lower in other parts. Your whole body follows these energy fluctuations.



It's very hard to be consistent in your energy all day long. And that's not a failure. That's just how some brains work.



So here's what my clients like: Energy Blocking



Once you've time-blocked your day - you have a chunk of time here, a chunk of time there, maybe some 90-minute blocks and some smaller blocks scattered throughout - you add another layer.



You match your tasks to your actual energy levels.



Here's how it works:



Step 1: Create two running lists



Make a list of tasks that are hard for you to do. Make a list of tasks that are easier for you to do.



And here's the critical part: "Easy" and "hard" are completely personal to YOUR brain.



For some people, making phone calls is easy. They love chatting with people. For others, that's incredibly hard.



For some people, sending emails and organizing them is easy. For others, that's incredibly hard.



For some people, it's incredibly easy to nerd out on data, dive in deep, and figure out where there are discrepancies and mistakes. For others, that's really hard.



This is designed for you to decide what is easy and what is hard for YOUR specific brain.



Step 2: Check in with your body



When you come to a time block, check in with yourself.



How are you feeling? Are you calm and ready to go? In a good, clear mental state?



Or is your energy lower? Are you just not really with it today for whatever reason?



Step 3: Choose from the appropriate list



If you're feeling good and clear-headed, choose something from your hard tasks list. Dive into the challenging work that requires your best energy.



If your energy is lower or you're just not feeling it, choose from your easier tasks list. Still productive. Still getting things done. Just matched to your actual capacity in that moment.



What this looks like in real life



For me, the end of the day means I'm losing steam. My daughter knows not to ask me for help with homework after 8:00. I’m spent.



But I have clients with ADHD who actually rev up in the evening. They're ready to tackle their hardest work after dinner.



Some people are sharp first thing in the morning. Others need a couple hours to fully wake up.



Some people hit a wall after lunch. Others get a second wind in the afternoon.



Your pattern is yours. Energy blocking lets you work with it instead of against it.



Key Takeaway: 



Time blocking creates the structure. Energy blocking makes that structure actually work for your brain.



You're not failing when you can't consistently perform at the same level all day. You're human. Your brain has natural rhythms and fluctuations.



The key is having options. When you reach a time block and check in with yourself, you have a menu to choose from based on your actual state, not some ideal version of consistent productivity.



Hard tasks when you have the energy. Easier tasks when you don't.



Both are productive. Both move your work forward. One just acknowledges reality.



Give it a try




What time of day is your brain at its best? And when does your energy tend to dip?



What would change if you matched your hardest tasks to your highest energy times?



Try energy blocking this week and let me know what you discover.



Want to learn more about my work?


Website: https://neuroautonomy.com/


YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt_ciMlkbqElTXqRZLLWWGg


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genielove_coaching/

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Please Don't Fill Every Gap in Your Schedule

By Genie Love • October 24, 2025
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Why Your "Wide Open Day" Falls Apart

By Genie Love • October 15, 2025
You know that completely open day you’ve been looking forward to? The one where you are going to get so much done... I’m actually having one today. Meeting in the morning and then nothing scheduled until my daughter gets home from school. No appointments. Just me and my to-do list. And somehow, without the structure, sometimes you accomplish less than on a busy day. Sound familiar? Here's what I've learned about why unstructured time sabotages us I had a client recently - a grad student with wide open days at home. She was really struggling to get started, stay on track, and maintain momentum with her schoolwork. She told me she was thinking about skipping her mid-day workout class to have even more time to focus. I told her the opposite: Keep the class. Actually, it might be the most important part of your day. Here's why... Our brains don't like that much unstructured time When you have a completely open day, there's no natural rhythm. No built-in break points. No structure to create momentum. You tell yourself you'll get started "in a minute" and suddenly...time has passed and you’ve lost motivation or don’t know where to start. Or...you’ve scheduled way too many things and it feels overwhelming. It's not a discipline problem. It's a structure problem. Try this… Add structure to your open days. Not rigid scheduling that stresses you out, but intentional break points that create natural time blocks. For my grad student client, keeping her workout class meant she had a structured block of work time before the class and another block after. The day felt broken up. Manageable. Less overwhelming. Here are some ways to add structure: If you work from home: Schedule mini breaks throughout the day. I do this with dog walks - my dog needs to go out anyway, so I schedule short walks that break up my work blocks. You could also use household tasks as natural break points - at this time I'll put in laundry, or this is when I'll start dinner in the crockpot. These aren't distractions from work. They're structure that helps your brain maintain momentum. If you're at a workplace: Build in very specific breaks throughout the day. I worked with someone whose job includes checking in with team members. We built those check-ins into scheduled break times - she gets up from her desk, moves around, connects with people, then comes back for another focused work block. The pattern: Work block → Movement break → Work block The key is creating breaks that get you up and moving away from your desk and away from thinking. Because wide open days sound amazing in theory. Finally, enough time to get everything done! But in reality, our brains need structure to function well. Too much unstructured time and we lose steam, fall off track, and have trouble getting back on. The irony? You might actually accomplish more on busier days than on your most open ones. So if you have a flexible schedule, work from home, or just have occasional open days... build in structure. Find ways to break up your day into blocks with buffer time in between. Let me know what happens. I'd love to hear what you discover about your own patterns. Want to learn more about my work? Website: https://neuroautonomy.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt_ciMlkbqElTXqRZLLWWGg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genielove_coaching/
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