3 Ways to Save Mental Energy in 2025
As we kick off the new year, there’s a lot of chatter about physical fitness. “Get yourself together, jump on the train, transform your body” — it’s everywhere. But today, I want to shift gears and talk about mental fitness.
Why? Because while your physical energy is important, your mental energy is just as critical — if not more so — to your productivity, clarity, and overall sense of well-being.
When your mental energy is intact, your decision-making becomes effortless. You think expansively, creatively, and strategically. You have space to prioritize your core values. You have room to tackle those big ideas you’ve been shelving for too long.
But when you waste mental energy, you set yourself up for snap judgments, decision fatigue, and the bare-minimum approach to life.
And none of us are here for that, right?
This year, let’s give mental fitness its due attention. Let’s conserve mental energy so you can spend it on things that truly matter.
I’ve got three mental fitness habits for you to adopt. These aren’t resolutions; they’re lifestyle upgrades.
1. DON’T Agonize Over Other People’s Choices. DO Let Them Be Themselves.
Think of your mental energy as literal coins. How many coins do you toss away each day by fretting about someone else’s choices?
The stranger who parked badly at the grocery store. The family member who said the same thoughtless comments they always do. The guy who put their dog in the absolute weirdest shoes. (Why!) These tiny frustrations chip away at your mental reserves.
In 2025, we’re not spending coins like that anymore. Instead, adopt this mantra: They do them, so I can do me.
When someone’s choices don’t directly impact you — Let. Them. Go. Focus your energy where it matters.
Sure, annoying things will still annoy you — you’re human. But notice when you’re choosing to dwell on something unnecessary.
Keep your coins. They’ll be much better spent on paying attention to the good stuff like sunsets and meaningful conversations and finally getting the paper towel ball in the trash can on the first throw.
Plus, you’ll have more mental energy to effectively deal with the crappier parts of life that matter way more than the stranger who can’t park.
2. DON’T Ruminate. DO Choose Your Perspective.
Rumination is like wandering an endless field with no destination. It’s aimless, exhausting, and unproductive.
The more time you spend replaying conversations, overanalyzing events, or critiquing your actions, the less energy you have for the present.
This year, when you catch yourself ruminating, reframe it as an opportunity to take control.
Instead of aimless wandering, put a mental leash on your brain and choose your perspective: What do you want to think about this situation?
In all our overthinking, we can forget to give ourselves a chance to form an intentional opinion about a past situation. But that’s really what your brain needs to hear from you in these moments of rumination. Instead of letting it roll around in your head like a loud sweatshirt banging around in the dryer — press pause and decide what you would like your official stance to be on how that meeting or text or interaction with your neighbor went.
Remember: you don’t have to spend your life analyzing every decision if you don’t want to.
You can choose to live it — decide what you think about situations, and keep movin’ forward.
3. DON’T Keep “Thinking About It.” DO Take Action or Let It Go.
If rumination is wandering a field, “thinking about it” is idling in a parking lot with the engine running. You’re burning fuel without going anywhere.
You know you’re stuck in this loop if:
You revisit the same thoughts repeatedly without making progress.
You’re not actively working toward a solution.
The issue feels too important to ignore, yet you’re not doing anything about it.
It’s time to decide: either act or turn off the engine.
If the timing isn’t right to tackle the problem, give yourself permission to shelf it. Make a plan to revisit it later and free up your energy for what matters now.
If action is possible, take the first step — even if it’s small. New information and momentum will break the loop and move you forward.
The Payoff: More Coins, More Clarity
When you save mental energy, you unlock the bandwidth for what truly matters. You make space for creativity, meaningful progress, and even joy.
Imagine how 2025 will feel when you conserve just 30% more of your mental energy every day! How will that change your week, your month, your year?
Let’s recap the habits:
Let others be themselves. Stop spending coins on other people’s choices.
Choose your perspective. Stop aimless rumination and decide what you want to think about what happened.
Act or let go. Stop idling in mental loops — take action or consciously decide that you won’t.
This year, let’s commit to using our energy wisely. Let’s save it, invest it, and use it to build the life we want.
Here’s to a mentally fit 2025 — one decision at a time.
Wait, I need more help!
Is it time to work together? I help overthinking high-achievers trust their choices.
Whether you need help being more decisive, taking up more space in your own life, or truly figuring out what you want so you can take action on it — coaching with me gives you guidance, accountability and an expert in your corner.
We’ll use science-backed tools and proven strategies to change mental and physical habits, decrease your baseline overwhelm, and grow your self-trust to the point that you make clear, conscious, self-honoring decisions with ease, daily.
It starts — naturally — with some decisive action.
Book your no-strings Free Consultation where we’ll talk like humans, break down your goals, identify a path forward, and figure out if we’re a fit to work together.
