Episode 109: The 4 Most Common Low Energy Patterns (And How to Recognise Yours)
Low energy isn’t one single experience, and that’s why so much generic advice fails. In this third episode of the Energy series, we explain the four most common low energy patterns we see repeatedly in clinic, helping you understand why your fatigue shows up the way it does. Rather than labels or diagnoses, this episode focuses on biological patterns that reflect how the body adapts to stress, illness, inflammation, and prolonged demand.
You’ll learn how to recognise the difference between being wired but tired, experiencing flat fatigue, dealing with post-viral or immune-driven energy crashes, or sliding into burnout-style fatigue. Each pattern is explained in clear, relatable terms so you can see yourself in the physiology, not judge yourself for it. This clarity matters, because two people can feel exhausted while their bodies are doing very different things beneath the surface.
This episode answers questions like:
“Wired but tired vs burnout: what’s the difference?”
“Why your energy crashes after simple tasks”
“How immune-driven fatigue works”
“Why standard fatigue advice can backfire”
“How to recover from burnout physically and biologically?”
“Signs of chronic stress vs depression vs fatigue”
If you’ve ever felt tired all day but alert at night, struggled to recover after illness, felt heavy and unmotivated for no obvious reason, or wondered why rest doesn’t restore your energy anymore, this episode will help you make sense of it. By recognising your energy pattern, you’ll gain relief, understanding, and a clearer starting point for supporting your body in a way that actually works.
DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast and related website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. It is not intended to be used to diagnose or treat, instead it is designed to help educate and inspire. Always seek the advice of a professional medical practitioner or qualified health practitioner. Never ignore or disregard advice given to you based on information in this podcast or related website and do not delay in seeking medical advice.
Timestamps:
[02:50] - Why Low Energy Looks Different in Different People
Fatigue isn’t one experience. Two people can feel exhausted while entirely different biological systems are driving their low energy.
[05:20] - Pattern 1: Wired But Tired (Chronic Stress & Nervous System Overdrive)
Feeling exhausted but unable to switch off, relying on caffeine or adrenaline, and feeling alert at night are signs of stress-driven energy compensation.
[13:40] - Pattern 2: Flat Fatigue (Energy Conservation & Reduced Output)
Low motivation, heaviness, and emotional flatness can reflect the body deliberately slowing energy production to protect itself after prolonged demand or illness.
[20:10] - Pattern 3: Post-Viral or Immune-Driven Fatigue
Crashing after mental or physical effort, brain fog, and slow recovery are signs the immune system is still drawing heavily on energy reserves.
[26:10] - Pattern 4: Burnout-Style Fatigue (Loss of Adaptive Capacity)
When small stresses feel overwhelming and recovery takes much longer, the body’s ability to adapt has been stretched by long-term stress and pressure.
[30:50] - What All Low Energy Patterns Have in Common
These patterns aren’t personal failures, they’re protective physiological responses that require understanding, not force, to restore energy.
“Burnout isn’t about being weak or incapable. It’s what happens when the body’s ability to adapt has been stretched for too long. When small stresses feel overwhelming and recovery takes longer than it used to, that’s not a personal failure, it’s a system that’s been carrying more than it was designed to for too long.”
Essential learnings from this episode…
Feeling tired all the time doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. Fatigue reflects how different systems respond to stress, illness, and prolonged demand.
Being exhausted but alert is often caused by chronic nervous system activation and disrupted cortisol rhythms, not poor stress management or anxiety alone.
When motivation feels low and everything feels like effort, the body may be intentionally reducing output after long periods of pushing or recovery.
Crashing after effort, brain fog, and slow recovery are signs the immune system is still prioritising defence over performance, even when tests look “normal.”
When small demands feel overwhelming and recovery takes days, the body’s stress systems have been overused, not because you’re weak, but because you’ve been strong for too long.
Understanding why your energy behaves the way it does brings relief, reduces self-blame, and creates a clearer path to restoring energy effectively.
EPISODE 109
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