Does Your Morning Self Write Cheques That Your Afternoon Self Can’t?Cash?

Ever have one of those mornings where you’re basically a superhero? It may have been an unusual night, in the sense that you actually slept. And those extra hours of slumber have you springing out of bed, with a clear mental checklist of all the things you’re going to accomplish, that seems so attainable, you wonder why they have not let your rule the world.

By 10am, you’ve promised your loved ones and colleagues the world: and you are firing on all cylinders during morning meetings, curating your creative projects, finally answering emails, squeezing in a workout while you were on hold, saving the whales, and maybe even vacuuming at one point. But then comes the afternoon, and your earlier self, ‘Morning You’?—?has set up ‘Afternoon You’ for a spectacular crash.

The thump hits hard, right? Suddenly you’re staring at your to-do list, and instead of feeling like a rockstar, you’re more like a deflated balloon. You now live in the world of energetic overdraft! Is there a way stop the cycle of Morning You maxing out Afternoon You’s metaphorical credit card?

Time Management: Realistic and Update-able!

I know, “time management” might sound like one of those wanky phrases that makes you want to snarl. But what if it doesn’t have to be all about productivity apps and minute-by-minute scheduling? It can actually be carefully crafted. And sustainable. And most importantly?—?ever changing!

The trick is to be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day and prioritise tasks that genuinely interest you. The kicker? If something blind sighted you, readjust your priorities. I think it’s doing this with zero guilt while managing other people’s expectations that can get tricky.

The other day, a colleague had to go to her office with her little niece which was unexpected. All her workmates asked what had happened, and she simply said: ‘12pm Me’ barely had the bandwidth to give this kid’s day care centre a lock of hair and a vile of blood to prove I was allowed to pick her up. The details of why my sister needed me to do this, will have to wait til ‘4pm Me’ has capacity again.

Scheduling Downtime: Decompression is the New Productivity

Imagine if we treated rest with the same importance as we treat our work tasks. Downtime isn’t a luxury?—?it’s a necessity for sustainable energy. Yet so many of us treat decompression like it’s that last, optional item on the to-do list. It’s the equivalent of thinking we can skip oil changes and just keep driving our car at full speed indefinitely. Spoiler: That car will eventually break down.

So, how do you schedule decompression in a way that actually works for you? First off, repurpose the guilt, otherwise it will act just like glue in your nervous system, and you’ll only end up feeling stuck.

We’re conditioned to think that if we’re not working, we’re slacking. But decompression is your body and mind’s way of refuelling. Whether it’s meditation, going for a walk, or binge-watching your favorite trashy reality show (hey, no judgment), find something that genuinely helps you reset or recalibrate.

Many self-help books suggest you tackle one major task that you are in the right head space for, with one minor task that’s a bit of a brain break. After those two things? Reward yourself. Eat a snack. Answer some texts. Go for a walk. By pacing yourself, you give Afternoon You a fighting chance at staying functional.

I must confess, I try to do this, and when I’m intentional about it, it tends to work, if I remain disciplined with my reward. Otherwise I find myself spiralling into google rabbit holes with inane searches, such as “What was Margaret Thatcher’s position in the Falkland’s War and why was it controversial?”

And on the days a major task spirals into a labyrinth of never ending actions, I break down the new crunchy bits into their own pieces and schedule them for a ‘T’ day, which in my world is either tomorrow, Tuesday, or Thursday.

The Fast-Paced Chase: Are We Just Dopamine Junkies?

Ah, Western society?—?where speed is king, and multitasking is our crown. Everything is so fast-paced and results-driven that sometimes we’re not working toward meaningful goals; we’re just chasing that next dopamine hit. Ever catch yourself scrolling through social media, not because you need to, but because your brain’s looking for its next reward? It’s the same reason we overcommit ourselves, thinking we’ll feel accomplished. We usually don’t.

The good news? We can retrain our brains to stop seeking external stimulation and come back to our centre. It’s all about self-regulation. If you can recognize when you’re chasing dopamine?—?whether it’s through your phone, overwork, or even coffee, or sugar, you can pause and ask yourself, “What do I actually need right now?” Nine times out of ten, it’s not another dopamine hit. It’s probably rest, connection, or a little self-compassion.

So, how do we manage our energy like we would our bank account so there’s no overdraft?

Schedule downtime like it’s your most important meeting of the day. And start thinking of future mini investments such as how grateful ‘Tomorrow You’ will be when ‘Today You’ changes the sheets in the morning, so you don’t have to do it at night. Much like with filling the car with petrol, pre preparing food, booking that meeting room, and the precious moments you carve out for yourself, so nobody else can schedule that time and take it away from you.

So, the next time ‘Morning You’ is feeling ambitious, just gently remind them: let’s not blow the budget before lunchtime, okay?

Patty Kikos

Pics by Candice Epthorp