Ep 240: Tended, Pt 2 - The Energy Audit

You've probably heard all the advice: get more sleep, exercise, drink more water, take a vacation, take better care of yourself.

But what if you're doing some of those things and you're still exhausted?

In this episode of Design for the Creative Mind, Michelle Lynne takes a deeper look at the difference between being tired from working hard and being depleted by the way your business is operating.

Because sometimes the problem isn't that you need more rest. It's that your energy is being spent in places that aren't serving you.

Michelle walks through the hidden energy drains she sees in interior design business owners—from difficult or misaligned clients to social media comparison, overfunctioning as an owner, and the expectation that you should always be available.

She also talks about an important distinction between recovery and restoration. Recovery stops the drain. Restoration actually puts something back in the tank. And as a business owner, you need both.

Most importantly, Michelle gives you a simple exercise you can use this week: an energy audit. Pay attention to what takes your energy and what gives it back. Then use that information the same way you would use any other business data—to make better decisions about where your time, attention, and energy belong.

In this episode, we talk about: The difference between normal tiredness and deeper depletion

Why misalignment can leave you exhausted even when you're getting enough rest

How the wrong clients can drain more than your time—they can drain your confidence and creativity

The comparison spiral created by social media

Why overfunctioning as a business owner keeps you stuck in the day-to-day