Low-Energy Backups: How Neurodivergent and Chronically Ill Entrepreneurs Can Protect Their Capacity

Salome Savage
Oct 10
3 min read

Woman sitting on couch with laptop. — woman sitting on a couch with her laptop

Yesterday I spoke with a neurodivergent business owner who came to me completely burned out. She described what so many entrepreneurs experience: constant juggling between client work, admin tasks, marketing, and invoicing — all while managing her energy, which often felt unpredictable. By the time she got on the call, she was exhausted and questioning whether she could keep going. I hear this story often. And it reminds me that burnout isn’t about capability. It’s about sustainability.

What Are “Low-Energy Backups”?

When you run a business with fluctuating energy, you can’t expect yourself to operate at 100% every day. That’s where low-energy backups come in. Low-energy backups are the systems, templates, and supports you put in place ahead of time to carry your business when you don’t have the capacity to do it all. Think of them as safety nets or scaffolding. They don’t replace your creativity, leadership, or vision — but they keep things steady so you don’t collapse under the weight of it all.

Examples of low-energy backups:

Pre-written email templates for when you can’t find the words.
Canned responses for client FAQs you answer on repeat.
Step-by-step workflows that guide you through processes even when brain fog setsow

These aren’t about perfection or “maximizing efficiency.” They’re about protecting your nervous system, reducing decision fatigue, and keeping your business steady on both high-capacity and low-capacity days.

Templates as Accessibility Tools

A lot of people see templates as “cookie-cutter” or “lazy.” But for neurodivergent and chronically ill entrepreneurs, templates are actually accessibility tools.

Here’s why:

They reduce decision fatigue. A starting point saves you from the mental load of reinventing the wheel.
They lower stress. Having pre-written responses on hand turns overwhelming tasks into quick clicks.
They protect your nervous system. Templates free you from pouring energy into routine tasks so you can focus on what really matters.

A well-designed template doesn’t erase your voice. It gives you the capacity to use your voice more fully when it counts.

Shifting How We See Support

Entrepreneurship often comes wrapped in hustle culture: push harder, work longer, sacrifice now, succeed later. For many of us, that narrative isn’t just unsustainable — it’s harmful. Building support systems isn’t about working less or caring less. It’s about ensuring your business runs in a way that honors your health, your energy, and your reality.

Low-energy backups aren’t shortcuts. They’re what make long-term sustainability possible.

Putting This Into Practice

When I work with clients, one of the first things we build is a bare minimum plan.

What’s absolutely essential to keep the business alive?
Which tasks can be automated or templatized?
Which ones can be handed off to support?

Once those answers are clear, we create backups that cover the essentials. That way, on low-capacity days, you know your business will stay afloat.

This isn’t about doing less. It’s about spending your energy where it matters most.

You’re Not Alone

If you’ve felt like your business depends on you showing up at 100% every single day, you’re not failing — you’re just working without the systems you need. There is another way. Sustainable systems exist, and they can be designed around your brain, your body, and your boundaries.

If you’ve been feeling the weight of burnout, it may be time to explore what support could look like for you. I’d love to have a conversation. You don’t have to figure this out alone.