Episode:Â 17
Manage Energy,
Not Time
With Layne Beachley, Tess Brouwer and Holly Ransom
Listen on:
What if self leadership is not about doing more, but about listening sooner?
In this deeply human episode, Tess and Layne sit down with global leadership expert, author, and conversation architect Holly Ransom for an honest conversation about resilience, purpose, and the quiet ways high performers burn out behind the scenes.
Holly shares the sliding doors moments that shaped her life, from being spotted by Richard Branson and propelled into the world of global hosting and leadership, to an early chapter marked by overwhelm, exhaustion, and a heavy diagnosis that forced her to stop and rebuild from the ground up.
Together, they unpack the difference between being clinically unwell and being chronically overworked, overtired, and overstimulated. They explore why so many of us reach for labels before we look at the basics, and how modern push through culture disconnects us from the body long before it breaks us.
From there, the episode becomes a practical masterclass in energy management. Holly shares the reframe that changed everything for her: manage energy, not time. They talk about wearables as mirrors, sleep hygiene, nervous system regulation, micro breaks, breathwork, play, and the courage it takes to listen to what your body is asking for in real time.
This is an episode for anyone who feels like they are coping, but running on fumes.
What you will learn
- Why self leadership starts with self awareness, not self discipline
- The difference between burnout, depression, and chronic overwhelm
- How managing energy creates better outcomes than managing time
- Why sleep hygiene matters more than total hours in bed
- How micro breaks of 90 seconds to 3 minutes reset the nervous system
- What upregulation and downregulation look like in everyday life
- How data can change behaviour, but only if you listen to it
- Why courage requires a meaningful why
- How play, presence, and joy restore energy and perspective
5 Key takeaways
- Burnout Often Comes From Ignoring the Body, Not Failing the Mind One of the core themes is that many people are not broken, depressed, or incapable. They are exhausted, overstimulated, and disconnected from their body’s signals. When we override those signals for too long, the system eventually forces a stop.
- Energy Is a More Honest Metric Than Time The episode reframes productivity through the lens of energy. When you match your most important work to your best energy, everything changes. Time management cannot compensate for depleted energy.
- Labels Can Help, But They Can Also Limit Holly speaks candidly about the weight of diagnosis and identity. Labels can explain experiences, but they should never become a ceiling. Awareness, context, and lifestyle inputs matter just as much as names.
- Regulation Is a Skill You Can Train Downregulating the nervous system does not require hours. Breathwork, micro breaks, and play can shift state in minutes. Most people train themselves to push, but never train themselves to recover.
- Betting on Yourself Requires Courage and Support The episode reinforces that courage is not reckless action. It is choosing the hard thing with a meaningful why, and asking for help to stick the landing instead of letting Plan B quietly become Plan A.
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Disclaimer
The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.
If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast.
Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.
