Why Managing Energy Matters More Than Pushing Harder
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
Jess Lapachinski is a mental performance consultant, writer, and founder of Victory Lap Mindset. She partners with athletes, coaches, and leaders to build the psychological skills needed for high-level performance.
I read a book last year that completely changed the way I think about leadership, fitness, productivity, and overall wellbeing. It wasn’t a book about doing more or waking up at 5 AM to run through a host of recommended morning routine activities; it was practical.
The idea was simple: we all have a limited amount of energy each day. Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a neuroscientist and leading expert in the science of emotion, coined this concept as a body budget. Dr. Barrett refers to our daily body budget like a financial budget. We have a running balance that we can draw from or deposit into, depending on our actions. This concept has come to guide many of the habits and decisions I make throughout the day.
I have a limited amount of energy each day, and I’m not alone. We all start each day with a finite number of resources for our bodies and brains. Learning how to maximize energy and resources is the key to managing how we show up for ourselves and others.
But it’s more than optimizing every minute of every day and getting every ounce out of ourselves. No matter what society tells us is productive, learning how to rest—both physically and mentally—prevents burnout and chronic exhaustion.
This is where the power of the body budget comes in.
Our brains influence our body budget by predicting our body’s needs and deciding where to invest resources. I know myself well enough to understand that if I’m sick, tired, didn’t get proper sleep the night before, or am experiencing a particularly stressful stretch of life, I might not start off with a budget of 100%. On those days, it’s more important than ever to make deposits to my body budget. I need to fill my cup more than draw from it.
That might look like modifying a workout to an outdoor walk or some mobility work. It also might look like intentionally skipping my workout entirely, reading a book, enjoying a cup of tea, or relaxing on the couch with my family. Over the years, I’ve slowly tried to take my foot off the gas when I need to, although it’s a skill I am still learning.
When I wake up ready to take on the world, I do my best to get the most out of those days, a big-time workout, high productivity, deep work on a project, or content for clients. I need less self-coaching these days because my baseline is high. (Try and stop me!)
As a mental performance consultant, I spend a lot of time coaching athletes to take action, especially when motivation is low. And that advice is important. In both sport and life, we can’t always allow our emotions to dictate our behavior. If we did, effort would be inconsistent, and growth would stall. We are still the boss. We decide what stays and what goes.
But the body budget concept reshaped how I think about action on both good days and tough ones.
Instead of asking, “How do I push through this?” I now ask, “What’s my baseline today?”
What would it look like to add to my budget just enough to meet today’s expectations, while still setting myself up for a stronger tomorrow?
That question has changed the way I coach myself and my clients. It creates room for accountability without shame or guilt. Effort without exhaustion. And most importantly, it reminds us to give ourselves grace during the natural ups and downs of life. We are human beings, not robots. Sustainable performance in leadership, accountability, and performance starts with understanding the root of where our energy comes from.
Check out Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett’s book How Emotions Are Made and learn how to start managing your own body budget.
Read more from Jess Lapachinski
Jess Lapachinski, Mental Performance Consultant
Jess Lapachinski is a mental performance consultant and founder of Victory Lap Mindset. After years in collegiate and independent school athletics, she recognized the growing need for psychological skills training that meets the rising pressures of modern sport. With advanced degrees in sport psychology and sport leadership, she blends research-backed methods with the practical insight of a former coach and athletic administrator. Jess helps high-performing athletes move beyond overthinking and performance anxiety by building confidence and psychological flexibility. She also partners with coaches and athletic programs to create environments where athletes feel supported and empowered to perform their best.
