How I Reclaimed My Time and Energy

Woman reading book on the beach

For a long time, I felt like I was living on autopilot. My days began early and ended late, yet I often looked back wondering what I had actually done. 

I was constantly busy responding to messages, attending classes, juggling responsibilities but emotionally and mentally, I felt empty.

I thought being busy meant I was doing something meaningful. Later, I learned that being busy without direction is just another form of distraction.

I had lost my time, and slowly, I felt like I was losing myself. 

Reclaiming my time and energy wasn’t a dramatic transformation it was a slow, intentional journey filled with small decisions, honest reflections, and quiet courage.

This is how I found my way back.

Step 1: Realizing Something Was Wrong

The turning point began when I finally admitted that I didn’t feel okay.

 I wasn’t present.

 I was exhausted. 

I was emotionally low.

Every day, I woke up feeling behind like I owed life something. 

No matter what I did, it never felt enough. 

I kept saying yes to things I didn’t want, out of guilt or fear of disappointing others. 

Meanwhile, my own needs slipped to the bottom of my priorities.

Acknowledging the problem was the first act of honesty. Until that point, I thought pushing through made me strong. But ignoring my needs was silently breaking me.

And so, I allowed myself to pause… and listen.

Step 2: Taking Inventory of My Time

Once I acknowledged the issue, I started observing how I spent my hours. I tracked my days…hour by hour…for a week.

It shocked me how much time slipped away unnoticed: hours scrolling, talking about nothing meaningful, reacting to random things, checking notifications, or doing things that didn’t align with my goals.

But the most surprising part wasn’t the wasted time it was the energy I was spending on people and habits that drained me.

Suddenly everything became clear: Time wasn’t the only thing disappearing. My energy was evaporating with it.

A Personal Turning Point : October Changed Me

Then came October the month that shook me and shaped me.

In the beginning of the month, everything seemed to collapse at once. 

I suddenly found myself with no phone, no laptop, no close friends around, and a fragile heart.

 My relationship was unstable, I was overthinking endlessly, and loneliness wrapped itself around me.

I felt empty. 

Disconnected. 

Surrounded by silence.

There were days I woke up feeling no motivation with a heavy mind and a restless soul.

 I felt like life was moving forward while I stood still.

I kept thinking:

  “Everyone else is living… and I’m just here.”

The worst part wasn’t losing my devices It was losing the things I used to run to when I felt overwhelmed. No distractions. Just me… and my thoughts.

At first, it was painful. But slowly, that silence became a doorway.

Choosing a Small Step

One day, instead of resisting what was happening, I chose to lean into it.

I opened one of the books I had always planned to read “someday.” Suddenly, someday had become today. 

I began reading every evening. Page by page, I felt my mind melting into new worlds and ideas.

That month, I read four books.

 Each book felt like a quiet friend helping me understand life, myself, and what I wanted.

Woman journaling by window

Journaling: Making Peace With My Mind

At night, I would journal. 

Sometimes I wrote pages of confusion.

 Sometimes only two lines. 

But each word released something inside me. 

My journal became a safe place where I spoke without fear where I understood myself a little more each day.

Writing helped me realize that I didn’t need to run away from my thoughts… I simply needed to meet them.

Choosing Joy in Small Ways

During that month, I also tried to take care of myself physically.

 I dressed up even when I didn’t feel like it.

 I put on perfume, wore clothes I loved, and carried myself with quiet dignity.

I went to university with a smile even though inside I was still healing. 

Weekends became my therapy. 

After reviewing my university lectures, I would go to the beach. 

I remember sitting by the sea, inhaling the breeze, listening to the waves, letting the wind clean my thoughts.

The ocean didn’t speak words, but it answered me. It reminded me that life is always moving, always renewing. That I could, too.

The Month Ended… and I Was Different

When October ended, I finally got my phone back. But something had changed.

 The things that once felt necessary the constant messages, the noise, the chaos they didn’t have the same power anymore.

I realized I hadn’t missed them. I had enjoyed my time alone reading, thinking, healing, and simply living. I discovered that peace comes from within, not from people or objects I thought I couldn’t live without. 

October had been painful… but it was also the month I reclaimed myself.

Step 3: Learning to Say “No”

After October, I learned how powerful boundaries are. Saying “no” was uncomfortable at first. 

I felt guilty, afraid of hurting people or missing out. But slowly, I understood: Protecting my time is respecting myself.

Saying “no” became an act of self-care. 

I said no to draining conversations, no to unnecessary outings, no to expectations that weighed me down. 

And with each “no,” I said yes to myself.

Step 4: Prioritizing What Truly Matters

I began asking myself: What gives me life? What makes me feel good after doing it? What aligns with my future?

I found joy in:

• Deep work
• Meaningful conversations
• Studying with intention
• Reading
• Time with nature
• Taking care of my physical self

And I let go of things that no longer aligned with who I wanted to become.

Step 5: Reclaiming My Mornings

I used to wake up and immediately reach for my phone falling into the world before touching my own thoughts. Now, my mornings are slow.

 Calm. I stretch, breathe, make tea. 

Sometimes I journal. Sometimes I sit quietly and observe the morning light. This small shift changed everything I started my day centered instead of distracted.

Step 6: Letting Go of Guilt

Reclaiming my time and energy required letting go of guilt. The truth is: You don’t owe the world constant availability. 

You are allowed to rest. 

You are allowed to protect your peace. 

Your life is yours.

Step 7: Building Energy Habits

Energy needs maintenance. So I chose habits that nourished me:

• Sleeping on time
• Eating well
• Journaling
• Reading
• Beach walks
• Limiting social media
• Being intentional with relationships

Slowly, my clarity returned. My emotional strength grew.

Step 8: Living With Intention

Learning to reclaim my time and energy has given me freedom: Freedom from pressure, comparison, and noise. Freedom to choose how I spend my days.

 Now, I live more intentionally I do fewer things, but I do them with purpose.

Step 9: The Journey Continues

I still have days when I slip into old habits. But now, I know how to return. 

I pause. I breathe. 

I listen to myself. 

Reclaiming my time and energy is not a moment it is a lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

October taught me the most important lesson of my life: When everything is taken away, you finally meet yourself. I learned that my time is precious, my energy is sacred, and my peace is worth fighting for.

You don’t have to wait for life to fall apart to start honoring yourself.

 You can begin now with one small step, one small habit, one quiet yes to your soul.

 Reclaiming my time and energy didn’t only give me my life back it helped me love life again.