Low Energy/Tired

Our Guide to Using Music & Sound to Alleviate Low Energy and Persistent Tiredness

When You’re Tired All the Time, But Not Exactly Sleepy

Low energy doesn’t always look like needing a nap.

Sometimes it feels like:

• Moving through mud

• Struggling to initiate even simple tasks

• A flat, dull kind of fatigue rather than exhaustion

  
  

Music can help with low energy, but only if you understand what kind of tiredness you’re dealing with. This guide is not about forcing motivation or pushing through. It’s about using sound to support physiological arousal in a regulated way, without tipping into stress.

Different Kinds of Tiredness, Different Nervous Systems

Low energy is not one thing.

From a physiological perspective, it often falls into one (or more) of these states:

• Under-arousal: the nervous system isn’t activating enough

• Dysregulated arousal: energy comes in short spikes, then crashes

• Cognitive fatigue: mental effort is high, capacity is low

• Emotional fatigue: motivation drops even when the body is capable

  
  

Music can support all of these, but equally, the wrong music can worsen them.

Why 'Uplifting Music' Often Backfires

When people feel tired, they often reach for:

• Fast, high-energy playlists

• Music designed to hype or motivate

• Loud, driving rhythms

  
  

This can work briefly and then leave you more depleted.

Why? Because it borrows energy from stress systems (adrenaline, cortisol) rather than restoring sustainable activation. The result is a short-lived lift followed by a deeper dip.

Low energy usually needs gentle activation, not stimulation.

What the Body Needs to Feel More Energised

Sustainable energy comes from:

• Stable autonomic arousal

• Adequate oxygenation

• Rhythmic movement (even subtle)

• A nervous system that feels safe enough to mobilise

Music influences energy by:

• Adjusting heart rate and breathing

• Supporting attention engagement

• Reducing the cognitive cost of starting tasks

• Encouraging light, non-stressful movement

Tempo: The Most Important Variable for Energy

Faster Isn’t Always Better

For low energy, the most effective tempos are usually:

• 70–100 BPM for gentle activation

• 100–120 BPM for sustained alertness without stress

  
  

Above that, music often becomes stimulating rather than supportive.

Think walking pace, not sprinting.

Rhythm Over Volume

Energy comes from rhythm, not loudness.

A clear, steady pulse helps the body organise movement and attention. Loud music can feel energising, but it often increases tension rather than opening up your capacity.

The Best Types of Music for Low Energy

1. Mid-Tempo Instrumental Music

• Light rhythm

• Clear structure

• Minimal emotional drama

  
  

Best for: general fatigue, sluggish mornings, task initiation

2. Groove-Based Music Without Aggression

• Funk, downtempo electronic, soft Afrobeat, lo-fi with pulse

• Repetitive, steady, embodied rhythms

Best for: physical tiredness, low motivation, movement resistance

3. Familiar Music with Positive Associations

• Songs you know well

• No surprises, no decision-making

  
  

Best for: emotional fatigue, decision overload

4. Nature-Inspired Rhythmic Sound

• Footsteps, gentle waves, wind through trees

• Rhythmic but non-musical

  
  

Best for: sensory fatigue, screen exhaustion

Lyrics: Helpful or Draining?

Lyrics can help with low energy if they:

• Are familiar

• Are not emotionally demanding

• Don’t require interpretation

Lyrics hinder energy if they:

• Trigger memories

• Demand emotional engagement

• Pull attention inward

  
  

If you find yourself listening to the words rather than moving with the sound, switch to instrumental.

Using Music to Get Started When You Feel Flat

Low energy often blocks initiation more than endurance.

Music helps by:

• Reducing the effort required to begin

• Providing an external rhythm to move alongside

• Narrowing attention so choices feel simpler

A common strategy:

• Start music before you intend to act

• Let the body move slightly first

• Follow movement with intention, not the other way round

How Long Should You Listen to Feel a Difference?

For low energy:

• 5–10 minutes can improve alertness

• 15–30 minutes supports sustained engagement

  
  

Longer is not always better. Energy needs activation windows, not immersion.

Music, Dopamine, and Motivation (Without the Hype)

Music can increase dopamine release, particularly when:

• The rhythm is predictable

• The music is enjoyable but not overwhelming

• The listener feels in control

  
  

This doesn’t create motivation from nothing. It lowers the barrier to engagement.

Think of music as oiling the hinge, not pushing the door.

What About Frequencies and Brainwave Sound?

Some frequency-based sounds aim to support alertness, often in:

• Low Alpha (8–10 Hz): relaxed alertness

• SMR / Low Beta (12–15 Hz): calm focus

  
  

Evidence here is mixed. Some people find these sounds helpful, others find them irritating.

If it feels busy, tense, or artificial - stop. For energy, comfort matters more than theory.

Using Music Across the Day for Energy Support

Morning: Gentle Activation

• Mid-tempo music shortly after waking

• Avoid very slow or very fast tracks

• Pair with light movement if possible

Midday Slump

• Rhythmic, familiar tracks

• Lower volume than you think you need

• Avoid switching styles frequently

Afternoon Fatigue

• Short listening bursts (10–15 minutes)

• Instrumental or groove-based

• Stop before it becomes background noise

What Music Cannot Fix

Music cannot:

• Replace sleep

• Correct nutritional deficiencies

• Resolve medical fatigue

• Compensate for chronic overwork

  
  

If tiredness is persistent, unexplained, or worsening, it deserves medical attention.

Music is a support, not a substitute.

The Most Common Mistake with Low Energy

Using music to override fatigue rather than understand it.

If you consistently need loud or intense music to function, your system is likely asking for rest, not stimulation.

Use music to work with your energy, not against it.

A Useful Reframe

Low energy is not laziness. It’s information.

Music works best when it helps you respond intelligently, sometimes by activating, sometimes by pacing, sometimes by revealing that stopping is the right move.

Energy returns fastest when it feels safe to do so.