ADHD Energy Tracking for Women: A Simple Tool to Protect Your Energy

ADHD Energy Tracking  as a Burnout Prevent Tool

If you are an ADHD woman and an autistic woman or both (AuDHD), you’ve probably noticed that your energy levels can swing a lot. Some days, you feel unstoppable, and others, even basic tasks, feel exhausting. Energy tracking is a simple way to understand these ups and downs to avoid burnout and take better care of yourself.

Knowing how much energy everyday tasks and activities take out of you is a big part of " managing " your adhd.  It's one that isn't talked about enough. It's a huge part of learning to live comfortably in the world as an ADHD woman.

What is Energy Tracking?

Energy tracking means paying attention to how tasks make you feel—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s about being honest with yourself and noticing when things take more out of you than they seem to.

For example:

• Tasks that require a lot of planning or decision-making (like answering emails, scheduling, or cleaning) can drain your energy faster than you expect.
• Long periods of hyperfocus can feel amazing at the time but leave you mentally exhausted afterward.
• Even fun activities can take energy—especially if they involve socializing or sensory-heavy environments.

Why It Matters

Neurodivergent burnout isn’t just from doing too much work. It can happen when you push yourself through overwhelm, masking, or ignoring your limits for too long. Energy tracking helps you catch those patterns early and make changes before burnout happens.

How to Track Your Energy (Keep It Simple)

You don’t need fancy tools to start ADHD energy tracking. Just start small:

1. Check in with yourself throughout the day.

• Ask: How do I feel right now? Am I tired, overwhelmed, calm, or energized?
• Pay attention to your body signals—like headaches, tension, or brain fog.

2. Notice which activities drain or refill your energy.

• Draining: Multitasking, errands, socializing, loud spaces, or long meetings.
• Restoring: Quiet time, hobbies, deep focus, nature, or alone time.

3. Write it down (but keep it easy).

• Use a simple journal, a note in your phone, or even color codes (green for good energy, red for drained).
• Don’t stress about tracking every detail. Just jot down what stands out.

4. Look for patterns.

• Do certain tasks always leave you exhausted? Do some times of day feel easier than others?
• Adjust your schedule based on what you notice—plan harder tasks when you have more energy and save easier ones for low-energy times.

Why It Works

• Prevents Burnout – You’ll spot when you need breaks before you hit a wall.
• Helps with Planning – You can balance your days better by mixing high- and low-energy tasks.
• Builds Self-Awareness – Over time, you’ll understand your limits and what helps you recharge.

How can you Practice ADHD Energy Tracking

Here are some simple, practical ways to track your energy that don’t require much effort:

1. Quick Daily Journal (1-2 Minutes)

• At the end of each day, write down:
  • What gave me energy today?
  • What drained me?
  • How do I feel overall (tired, okay, energized)?
• Keep it brief—bullet points work! Example:
  • 🔋 Energized by: Quiet morning, reading, hobby time.
  • 🪫 Drained by: Grocery shopping, long phone call, noisy environment.
  • Overall: 😩 Feeling exhausted by 5 PM.

2. Energy Check-Ins (3x a Day)

• Set 3 reminders on your phone (morning, afternoon, evening). When they go off, ask:
  • How do I feel right now?
  • What have I been doing for the past hour?
• Use emojis or simple words to describe your energy:
  • 🌞 = High Energy
  • 😐 = Neutral
  • 🛑 = Low Energy or Overwhelmed

Example:

• 🌞 Morning – Relaxing breakfast, low stress.
• 😐 Afternoon – Emails, starting to feel tired.
• 🛑 Evening – Overwhelmed after errands and socializing.

3. Color-Coding System

• Use colors to track energy. You can do this in a planner, on a calendar, or even in your phone’s notes app.
  • Green – High Energy (Felt good, productive)
  • Yellow – Neutral (Okay but not at full capacity)
  • Red – Low Energy (Tired, overwhelmed, or overstimulated)
• At the end of the week, look at the colors to see how often you feel drained vs. energized.

4. The “Spoon” Method (Inspired by Spoon Theory)

• Imagine you have 10 spoons of energy each day. Every task “costs” spoons.
  • Easy tasks = 1 spoon (answering texts)
  • Harder tasks = 3-5 spoons (meetings, errands)
  • Restorative tasks give spoons back (quiet hobbies, naps).
• Track how many spoons you have left at the end of the day.

Example:

• Start: 10 spoons
• 🛒 Grocery shopping – 3 spoons
• 🧹 Cleaning – 2 spoons
• 🎮 Video game – +1 spoon (recharged)
• End of day: 2 spoons left.

5. Simple Energy Bar Chart

• Draw a bar (or imagine one in your head) that represents your energy level at the start of the day.
• As the day goes on, shade or mentally “erase” parts of the bar when you feel drained by tasks.
• If something restores your energy, “add” to the bar.

Example:

• 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 – Morning (Full energy)
• 🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜ – Afternoon (Feeling halfway drained)
• 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ – Evening (Gained energy after quiet time).

6. Voice Memos or Videos as a Method of ADHD Energy Tracking

• If writing feels like too much, record a quick voice memo at the end of the day. Just talk through how you’re feeling and what activities stood out.
• Listen back at the end of the week to notice patterns.

7. Rating System (Out of 10)

• Rate your energy from 1 to 10 at different points during the day.
  • 10 = Full of energy
  • 5 = Tired but managing
  • 1 = Overwhelmed and exhausted
• Track your scores over a week to see what days or activities consistently lower your energy.

Example:

• 8 AM – Energy 7/10
• 2 PM – Energy 4/10 (after meetings)
• 7 PM – Energy 2/10 (too much socializing).

Final Tip: Go Easy on Yourself

• Some days you might forget to track, and that’s okay! Energy tracking is about learning and exploring—not perfection.
• The goal is to notice trends over time and become more aware of how daily life affects you.