Energy Without Espresso
How to keep your spark when the clocks – and your circadian rhythm – go rogue
It happens every year.
One day you’re finishing dinner feeling all glowy and candlelit and bathed in gold. The next, it’s pitch black at 5 p.m.
You swear you’ll get used to it, but your body disagrees. The post-time-change fog rolls in, your motivation hides under a blanket, and suddenly that second (third?) coffee starts whispering your name.
But it’s not about craving more caffeine. What you really want is to feel like you’re back in rhythm.
When the clocks fall back, your nervous system gets a minor case of whiplash. The light cues that tell your brain “wake up, it’s morning!” or “time to power down” change overnight, and your system scrambles to recalibrate.
The fastest way to help it?
Your breath. Bonus: zero side effects and no $6 price tag.
Why You Feel Jet Lagged Without Leaving Home
Fatigue after the time change isn’t just in your head. Your body’s sleep/wake hormones, melatonin and cortisol, actually get out of sync. Your alertness dips mid-morning, your focus blurs mid-afternoon, and you emerge from your stupor to find yourself scrolling flights to someplace sunny.
Breathwork can help bridge the gap. Research from Stanford’s Huberman Lab shows that doing literally just one minute of breathwork can significantly increase alertness while lowering stress hormones. Translation: you can perk up and calm down at the same time. No jitters, no 3 p.m. crash.
Your New Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Sit down, plant your feet, and straighten your spine – not military-straight, just awake.
Now try some double breathing:
Take a quick, sharp inhale through your nose, immediately followed by a longer, fuller breath in.
Then do a quick, sharp exhale through the mouth, followed by a longer, fuller breath out.
You can follow along with me here.
This is a great little energy boost any time of day, but I especially dig it in the afternoon. You can sneak it in before a meeting, while your computer comes back online, or at a red light (just… keep your eyes open).
I usually do a set of 5 and then take a little break. You can try up to 4 sets of 5 like that. If you’re just starting out and find this challenging, do a little less.
Feel a little rush? That’s why it’s an energizing breath :)
Keep the Spark Going
The secret isn’t doing breathwork once; it’s sprinkling it throughout your day like sea salt. Tiny, consistent breaths of awareness beat one long “self-care Sunday” every time.
Morning light + three intentional breaths = a smoother circadian rhythm.
Afternoon slump + one minute of double breathing = natural recharge.
If you make it part of the time-change week – maybe right after lunch or when you first notice yourself yawning – you’ll adjust about as fast as your clock app can update. And that steady, balanced energy? It’s what keeps you feeling bright when the daylight isn’t.
Breathe, Don’t Buzz
Listen, I love coffee.
But caffeine spikes and crashes. Breathwork balances.
When you regulate your breath, you’re fine-tuning your whole system: heart rate, blood pressure, focus, mood. You feel alert without the edge, productive without the push. And as daylight shrinks, that grounded energy becomes your best defense against seasonal slump.
So when the barista in your brain starts chanting “venti, venti, venti,” try going for some oxygen. The light outside may be fading, but your energy doesn’t have to.
Last Gasp
Hello darkness, my old friend. Soon you’ll be here at 4pm.
~ Unknown
Want more quick-impact breathing techniques? Here are five breath patterns to help you change how you feel in less than five minutes.