You know todays topic. I am sure. Or have heard it from a coworker. I caught myself saying this line quite a few times during the last years. I even did it recently. “I am on edge.”

The problem? You just cannot build energy when being on edge. I don’t know a way where that’s possible. If you do, please send me a reply 😀 !

This time, let me be clear: There are MAGIC TOOLS for this. They work. Scientifically proven.

Plus, I read an amazing newsletter this week, which inspired me to add in a little EXTRA for today.

Let’s start.

"Stress burns calories." Yes, but there is a big BUT: What fewer people realize is that chronic stress burns a shocking amount of your finite energy budget. Even when you're sitting still.

Your brain and body are constantly running predictive models: Am I safe? What's the threat? Do I need to brace?

Every time those models trigger a stress response: cortisol rises, muscles tighten, your heart starts pumping and you vigilance is heightened. In short:

You are paying an allostatic price.

This is called Allostasis & Stress-Induced Energy Expenditure (ASEE): the extra energy your system burns just to stay "ready."

In people with chronic stress, anxiety, or rumination, ASEE can become the new baseline. You're not just reacting to stress; you're idling at high revs, burning energy you could use for learning, mood stability, relationships, or genuine rest.

The great thing is that you can easily lower you idle: e.g. with Mindfulness, Slow Breathing and Yoga.

And don’t think “self-care” now in the fluffy sense. Think: ENERGY ENGINEERING. You use these techniques to recalibrate. Less baseline stress means more usable energy for you.

There is a good evidence from meta analysis: Mindfulness, Breathing and Yoga. Those don’t just “calm yourself”, they:

Those above are the hallmarks of better autonomic flexibility and lower baseline stress.

In turn, you have more energy left for what matters: focus, connection, creativity, and genuine rest.

Simple and practical protocols (evidence-aligned, but flexible) could look like these:

Slow Breathing
• 5-10 minutes of slow breathing.
• Target 4.5-6 breaths per minute (~ 5-7-second inhale, 5-7-second exhale).
• Breathe nasally, with a slightly longer exhale (e.g., 4 seconds in, 6-8 seconds out)
• Posture: upright, relaxed shoulders, no breath-holding or strain.

Yoga
• 5-15-minute micro-sessions 1x during the workday:
• 2-3 simple postures (e.g., child's pose, forward fold, gentle twists),
• Combined with slow, nasal breathing and brief body awareness.

Have fun! Own it!

On Friday Steven Schlafman’s Newsletter Where the Road Bends came into my inbox. Highly recommend his writing. His story really made me think and rethink to change things on a more broader level.

Steven did not post anything for 5 months. He lives in Upstate New York with his family. And the last winter seemed to be relentless. School cancellations, power outages and snow, snow, snow.

Instead of being nerved, complaining, wishing for better weather, he decided to lean into it. Accept, rest, simplify, go inward, focus on home.

And for five months, he went dormant:

What Steven found in this dormancy is that his new state changed everything else. Like putting the kids to bed without resentment. Just going to bed early. No FOMO. Extensive cooking - stews simmering for hours on the stove. Being more present. Being more intimate. He points out:

"Life as relationship. At every level. In every direction. All the way up and
all the way down."

I personally will try to think as much about this as I can during the next time.

Hope you do too.

That's it for this Saturday - eehhh - Sunday.

The next newsletter edition will come out on Saturday, the 11th of April 2026.

We will continue with:

“Food as Mitochondrial Communication, Not Just Calories.”

Own it!

Yours,

Moritz

PS:

Can you rarely make time for physical activity or regeneration? Do youI feel emotionally unstable and have difficulties to stay calm under pressure? Is managing people emotionally and energetically draining for you?

If that sounds familiar, Mastering Emotions is for you. I began coaching in 2023. Since then, l've coached over 30 executives, entrepreneurs, and high potentials on building Emotional Intelligence and into becoming future leaders.

If you want to learn more about my coaching book an orientation call here:

The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.

Sign Up Free