Variable Energies

Sometimes, I find myself "celebrating" that I had a good day.

By "good day," I mean a day when I felt reasonably clear headed and able to focus on things... like writing a blog post.

For a large part of this year, I have been struggling extensively with what I would call variable energy.

That is, I wake up in the morning... and regardless of how much sleep I had — and what quality sleep it was — I have little idea how much energy I will have, on this day.

Although I don't particularly like the label, part of my issue has long been that I live with a certain kind of ADHD. It's not the kind that makes me all nervous and perpetually hyped up... it's more or less the opposite.

Core to that is that my brain tends to be dopamine deficient.

If you're not into neuroscience, the short version is that I don't produce enough of the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good for accomplishing things, and getting a lift from rewards for something we're doing — physical, emotional, monetary or whatever.

When my dopamine is super low — which it often is — moving through life feels a little like trying to swim through honey.

The best thing I can do for myself is try to get enough sleep, reduce stress (good luck with THAT!) and eat foods rich in tyrosine (eggs, fish, low fat dairy, lean meat) which support dopamine production.

So why, in particular, this year?

My physician — well meaning as she might be — was recommending my going to a plant-based diet for heart health, not realizing that it would have a detrimental effect on my energy levels.

In retrospect, I guess it's one of those examples of "being healthy" not being the same thing as "feeling well."

Anyway, today I celebrated a good day. It felt like I actually made progress on my to-do list!

I spent a little time pondering the fact that "avoiding stress" is becoming increasingly difficult for a great number of people in this world.

When the reality is that your cost of living continues to rise at a far greater pace than your income, it's hard to no feel anxiety and tension about the inevitable outcome where the load just becomes too great and there is no (at least not here in the USA) safety net to catch you.

Meditation can only accomplish so much. But I'll keep working on it!

Meanwhile Steem and much of crypto continues somewhat in the toilet...

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remaidner of your week!

How about YOU? Have you ever experienced having wildly fluctuating energy levels, from day to day? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2025.11.12 23:47 PST
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