Tatiana Khodakova
“Energy is not a reserve in a thermos that can be saved by lying low. It’s a campfire that goes out without movement and flares up only in response to your action”
Energy: Why It Fades Without Activity and How to Ignite It Again
Many treat their energy like water in a thermos: it seems if you tightly seal the lid and don’t spill it today, it will remain just as hot tomorrow. We cancel walks or workouts to “conserve energy”, but end up waking up feeling even more exhausted and “cooled down”.
Why does this happen?
BECAUSE OUR BODY IS NOT A THERMOS. IT IS A CAMPFIRE
Energy on Demand
Within each of our cells, tiny power plants called mitochondria are at work. They function on a feedback principle: they produce just enough heat for you to manage. It is not profitable for them to “heat the streets” and work idly.
When you are active, it’s as if you are opening a damper and adding firewood. The body understands: fire is needed! The reaction starts, and energy fills the system. But as soon as you choose stillness, the body instantly “douses” the flame. It is not beneficial to burn resources uselessly, so it shifts your inner fire to a mode of barely glowing embers.
The Conservation Trap
The most insidious thing happens the next day. If you didn’t give your body a load today, tomorrow it won’t reward you with extra energy. On the contrary, biology will decide that since you are not moving, you don’t need heat.
You feel tired not because you’ve done a lot, but because your fire has almost gone out without activity. We literally freeze from inactivity, mistakenly mistaking this state for a need for rest.
How to Rekindle the Flame? 4 Steps to Activation
Energy cannot be “saved”; it can only be generated. Here’s how to signal your body that it’s time to ramp up to full power:
1. The 10-Minute Rule (The First Spark)
If you feel sluggish, don’t wait for the desire to move to come on its own. Just start. A brisk walk or simple warm-up is the kind of “kindling” that ignites first. After 10 minutes, your cells will receive a signal about a lack of oxygen, the “damper” will open, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) will begin to be produced — the universal molecule that serves as the main fuel for our body. That’s what gives you energy.
2. Seek Light (Adjusting Your Biorhythms)
Our inner fire is synchronized with the sun. To begin producing “daytime” hormones of vigor, the receptors in our eyes must catch bright light.
– What to do:Spend at least 15-20 minutes by a window or outside during the first half of the day. Even on a cloudy day, the light outside is tens of times stronger than any lamps. This is the main signal for the brain: “It’s time to ignite the flame; the day has begun”.
3. Verticalization (Oxygen for the Fire)
When we sit in one position for hours, our metabolism falls asleep, and blood flow slows down — the fire lacks oxygen.
– What to do: Get up and move every 50 minutes. A few squats or laps around the room acts like fanning the embers. Blood begins to flow faster, and drowsiness fades.
4. Water as a Catalyst
All chemical processes in cells that convert food into fuel require water. In a dehydrated body, the “reactor” operates sluggishly. A glass of water is the simplest way to ensure your internal processes run smoothly and efficiently.
Conclusion: Energy cannot be conserved while lying on the couch. It is born only from the act of burning. Every movement you make today is a handful of firewood for the campfire of your vitality tomorrow.
Want to feel the drive? Give the fire a reason to blaze right now.
Photo by Andrej Nihil
Translated by Maria Zayats
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Татьяна Ходакова
Практический психолог
Интегративный подход
