5 Sneaky Energy Suckers Draining Your Midlife Mojo (and How to Get It Back)

Ever feel like your energy has left you for good? Midlife is wild. We’re wiser than ever, but somehow, more exhausted than we were during the teenage late night years. The truth is, our energy doesn’t disappear—it gets leaked. 

I went down a rabbit hole (not doom scrolling) to curate the “Sucking Top 5” list. Here are the 5 most common (and sneaky) energy suckers that drain our joy, time, and presence - and how to swerve your way out of them. 

1. FOPO: Fear of People’s Opinions 

Yep, it’s a real thing. FOPO (coined by performance psychologist Michael Gervais) is that low-grade anxiety that whispers, “But what will they think?” It’s like mental spam that keeps you from taking that trip, launching that idea, or wearing the bright pants. It is the MOST troublesome energy sucker I have spent my entire life to stomp out. Who cares? You do you and be proud of yourself! 

**Remind yourself, most people are too busy thinking about themselves to judge you. Do it for your joy—not their reaction. 

 2. The Doom Scroll Rabbit Hole 

You grab your phone to check the weather. One hour later you’ve aged emotionally, absorbed six global disasters, and compared yourself to three influencers and a Labradoodle with better hair. 

**Schedule screen-free zones. Take walks without your phone. Let your brain breathe. 

3. Unfinished Business = Energy Drain 

Every unfinished to-do, unspoken truth, and mess in your closet is like leaving apps open on your soul’s operating system. Mental clutter = emotional fatigue. 

**Close the loops. Make a small to-do list and check (even the easy) tasks off. Start small. Clean a drawer. Say the thing. Finish the task. Momentum is energy medicine. 

4. Saying Yes When You Meant Hell No 

Midlife is peak “people-pleasing reflex.” But every inauthentic “yes” is a tiny betrayal of your time, energy, and alignment. If you don’t want to do something, say “no” right away, saying yes and knowing it’s a no creates next level dread. 

**Practice the pause. Ask yourself, “Does this expand me?” If not—smile, breathe, and say, “Not this time.” 

5. Resisting What Is 

Whether it’s a shifting body, a tough transition, or a plan that fell apart—fighting reality is like trying to hold back the tide with a broom. As Sadhguru teaches, “If you resist change, you resist life.” 

**Acceptance is not giving up—it’s letting in peace. Embrace change like it’s your midlife yoga teacher: slightly awkward, but probably here to help you stretch. 

The bottom line? 

Your energy is precious. Guard it like it’s your last drink of water. 
 

It’s time to stop leaking your light—and start reclaiming it. 

- Kim