Energy-Based Content Creation: Working Smarter, Not Harder
create even when you're down-bad-crying-at-the-gym
Have you ever found yourself stuck in bed, feeling the pressure to create content but lacking the energy to do a full production?
Been there.
As content creators, we often face the challenge of balancing our physical and mental energy with our business priorities.
Today I want to share a game-changing framework that has transformed my content creation process: planning your content based on your energy levels. This approach acknowledges that we're human, not machines, and our creativity and productivity fluctuate naturally.
Let me walk you through how this works in practice:
🪫 Low Energy Day: Yesterday I did an intense workout that left my body sore. I woke up today barely able to move, let alone set up lighting and film a video that requires me to speak. But because I documented my workout yesterday, I already have footage I can use!This is the power of documentation - creating content reserves for your low-energy days!
🔋High Energy Day: Last week, I woke up late after a full night's sleep. My mind was racing with ideas, and I felt physically energized.That was the perfect day to tackle longer YouTube videos and brainstorm content strategies for the month ahead.
Content Creation by Energy Level
🪫 Low Energy Content (When you just can't today)
B-roll with text overlay
B-roll with trending music
Carousels and graphic posts
Repurposing existing content
Scheduling previously created content
⚡ Medium Energy Content (When you're functional but not at 100%)
Videos with voiceover (record audio from bed!)
Editing footage shot on higher energy days
Creating simple short videos
Responding to comments and messages
🔋 High Energy Content (When you're firing on all cylinders)
YouTube videos and longer content formats
On-camera presentations
Writing and scripting future content
Brainstorming content ideas
Batch shooting multiple videos
How to put this into practice?
The beauty of this approach is its flexibility. Here's how to make it work for you:
Track your energy patterns: Notice when you typically have high vs. low energy days. Is it cyclical? Related to workout days? Or your monthly cycle (if you’re a girlie). Understanding your patterns helps with planning.
Create a content matrix: Develop a list of content types for each energy level that fits your niche and platform.
Build a content reserve: Use your high energy days to create content that can be released on low energy days.
Be kind to yourself: Remember that consistency doesn't mean working at the same intensity every day - it means showing up in ways that honor your current capacity.
The Power of Energy Pattern Recognition
By knowing your energy patterns, you can anticipate the outcomes of your goals, and we love getting a glimpse of the road right? This foresight is incredibly powerful - it allows you to plan your content calendar with confidence, set realistic deadlines, and reduce the anxiety that comes from uncertainty.
When you noticed that Monday mornings are typically your high-energy time, you can schedule your most demanding creative tasks then. Similarly, recognizing that you're usually drained by Thursday afternoon means you can prepare simpler content tasks for that period, avoiding the frustration of forcing creativity when your tank is empty.
This self-awareness transforms content creation from a daily struggle into a strategic rhythm that works with your natural energy flows, not against them.
Content creation doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. By matching your content tasks to your energy levels, you maintain consistency without burnout. Your audience would rather see sustainable content that reflects your authentic energy than watch you push yourself to exhaustion and eventually disappear.
I also want to share this so you can learn how to fully recharge your energy levels!
Creating with you,
Aliyah
Let’s Create Something Together
When you're ready, here’s how I can support you:
🎬 Video Marketing – Let’s craft impactful video content to authentically showcase your brand through Melonade Studio.
✍🏻 Content Strategy – Need monthly content ideas but prefer to set your own production pace? I’ve got you covered.