Sensing Limits
Helps match task selection and planning to current capacity, recognizing that available energy fluctuates and task difficulty should adapt accordingly.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when detecting:
- Energy mentions: "tired", "exhausted", "low energy", "burnt out", "drained"
- Capacity language: "overwhelmed", "too much", "can't handle", "at my limit"
- Spoon theory: "out of spoons", "need to conserve energy", "spoon budget"
- State-aware requests: "what can I actually do right now", "given how I'm feeling"
- Break needs: "need rest", "should I take a break", "pushing too hard"
Core Principles
1. Energy is Variable and Valid
Current capacity is not constant. Tired/low-energy states don't mean failure—they mean the task-matching algorithm needs different parameters.
2. Match Tasks to Capacity, Not Aspirations
Recommend what's actually doable now, not what "should" be doable. Better to complete a small thing than abandon a big thing.
3. Preserve Future Capacity
Pushing through exhaustion often costs more later. Sometimes the right recommendation is "rest" or "smaller scope."
4. Energy Types Matter
Physical, mental, emotional, and social energy are different. Low in one doesn't mean low in all.
Quick Capacity Assessment
The Three-Question Check-In
Fast assessment to calibrate recommendations:
- Physical energy: "How does your body feel right now?" (rested/okay/tired/exhausted)
- Mental energy: "How's your brain?" (sharp/functional/foggy/fried)
- Emotional energy: "How's your resilience right now?" (solid/managing/fragile/depleted)
Don't need detailed answers—rough sense is enough.
Energy Level Framework
High Capacity
- Physical: Rested, energized
- Mental: Sharp, focused, can handle complexity
- Emotional: Resilient, stable
- Appropriate tasks: Complex problem-solving, learning new things, high-stakes decisions, creative work
Medium Capacity
- Physical: Functional but not peak
- Mental: Can focus with effort, prefer familiar territory
- Emotional: Okay but not much buffer
- Appropriate tasks: Routine work, incremental progress on known tasks, low-stakes decisions, maintenance
Low Capacity
- Physical: Tired, moving slowly
- Mental: Foggy, hard to focus, slow processing
- Emotional: Little resilience, easily frustrated
- Appropriate tasks: Rote tasks, cleanup, low-cognitive-load activities, enjoyable work
Depleted/Crisis
- Physical: Exhausted
- Mental: Can't focus, memory issues
- Emotional: Fragile, overwhelmed
- Appropriate response: Rest, basic self-care, defer everything possible
Task-to-Capacity Matching
Task Classification System
Categorize tasks by what they demand:
Cognitive Load
- High: Novel problems, learning, complex analysis, architecture decisions
- Medium: Familiar work with some complexity, moderate problem-solving
- Low: Rote tasks, following clear procedures, maintenance work
- Minimal: Organizing, cleanup, passive reviewing
Emotional Load
- High: Conflict, high-stakes communication, rejection risk, vulnerability
- Medium: Collaboration, routine communication, minor discomfort
- Low: Solo work, supportive interactions, comfortable activities
- Minimal: Neutral tasks, no interpersonal component
Physical Load
- High: Sustained focus, precision, long sessions
- Medium: Moderate attention, some breaks okay
- Low: Flexible attention, interruption-tolerant
- Minimal: Can do while low-energy, rest-compatible
Matching Algorithm
Current Capacity + Task Requirements → Recommendation
High capacity + High-load task = Good match, proceed
High capacity + Low-load task = Good match (saves energy for later)
Low capacity + High-load task = Defer or scope down
Low capacity + Low-load task = Good match, proceed
Depleted + Any task = Recommend rest first
Low-Energy Mode Strategies
When Capacity is Limited
Option 1: Scope Down
- Instead of "write documentation" → "bullet points of what docs should cover"
- Instead of "design solution" → "list what the solution needs to handle"
- Instead of "implement feature" → "write test case showing what feature should do"
Option 2: Switch Domains
- If mental energy is low but physical is okay → cleanup, organization, physical tasks
- If emotional energy is low but mental is okay → solo technical work, avoid people tasks
- If everything is low → rest or enjoyable passive activities
Option 3: Lower Stakes
- Do the version where mistakes are cheap
- Prototype instead of final
- Draft instead of polished
- Experiment instead of commit
Option 4: Automation/Tools
- Let tools do the heavy lifting
- Use templates and patterns
- Copy from previous work
- Lean on AI assistance more
The "Rest is Productive" Reframe
Sometimes the most productive thing is to stop. Rest now vs. burnout later:
- Strategic rest: Preserves capacity for future high-value work
- Efficiency gain: Better to work 2 good hours than 6 struggling hours
- Compound effect: Small rest deficits compound into major crashes
Spoon Budgeting
Spoon Theory Application
If user references spoons or energy budgeting:
Track Spending
- Each task costs spoons based on load
- Fixed costs (getting started, context switching) matter
- Some activities replenish spoons (rest, joy, flow states)
Budget Throughout Day
Available spoons: [user's sense of daily budget]
Already spent: [morning tasks]
Remaining: [what's left]
Planned expenses:
- [Task A]: ~X spoons
- [Task B]: ~Y spoons
- [Buffer for unexpected]: ~Z spoons
Assessment: [over/under/at budget]
Spending Strategies
- Front-load: Hardest tasks when fresh (if sustainable)
- Spread: Distribute load across time
- Batch: Group similar tasks to reduce switching costs
- Deficit spending: Sometimes necessary, but track the debt
Break Timing and Types
When to Recommend Breaks
- Proactive: Before fatigue → better than reactive
- Signs of diminishing returns: Struggling with normally easy tasks
- Fixed intervals: Time-based (Pomodoro-style)
- Task completion: Natural breakpoints after finishing something
Types of Breaks
Micro-breaks (1-5 min)
- Stand, stretch, water
- Eyes away from screen
- Quick physical reset
- Between focused sessions
Short breaks (10-20 min)
- Walk around
- Different activity entirely
- Snack, social, nature
- Between major tasks
Long breaks (30+ min)
- Meal, exercise, rest
- Full context switch
- Between work blocks
- Replenishment activities
Recovery days
- Full rest/low demand
- After intense periods
- Before big pushes
- Preventive maintenance
Hyperfocus Awareness
Supporting Hyperfocus Productively
When user is in flow but may not notice time passing:
Gentle Awareness (Not Interruption)
- "You've been focused for [time]—doing great. Remember to hydrate."
- Offer breaks but don't force them
- Check in on physical needs (food, water, rest)
- Help notice if hyperfocus becomes counterproductive
Hyperfocus Recovery
- Coming out of deep focus can be disorienting
- May need explicit reminder to rest
- Often followed by energy crash—plan accordingly
- Mark accomplishments during focused period
Anti-Patterns
❌ Don't break flow without good reason
❌ Don't make user feel bad about sustained focus
✅ Do help notice physical needs
✅ Do support sustainable work patterns
Capacity-Aware Decision Making
When Energy Affects Decisions
Low capacity changes decision quality:
- Analysis paralysis increases when tired
- Risk tolerance changes (often more risk-averse when depleted)
- Emotional reactivity higher when low resilience
- Time horizons shrink (harder to think long-term)
Recommendation Pattern:
"This is a significant decision and you mentioned being [tired/overwhelmed]. Options:
- Make a small/reversible version of the decision now
- List the decision factors now, decide later when fresh
- Set a clear 'decide by' deadline to prevent indefinite deferral"
Integration with Other Skills
Coordinating Across Skills
With getting-started:
- If capacity is low, emphasis on absolute easiest starting point
- Adjust "5-minute starter" to current energy (maybe "2-minute starter")
- Build in more scaffolding when depleted
With saving-progress:
- Consider capacity when planning resume timing
- Low-energy resumes need more explicit context loading
- May recommend shorter work sessions when capacity is limited
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
❌ Don't guilt or shame about low energy
❌ Don't push "just power through" mindset
❌ Don't ignore physical/rest needs
❌ Don't treat all low-energy states the same (causes vary)
✅ Do normalize capacity fluctuation
✅ Do match tasks to actual current state
✅ Do preserve long-term sustainability
Success Indicators
This skill is working when:
- User reports better task-capacity matches
- User completes more tasks (even if individually smaller)
- User experiences less burnout/crash cycles
- User feels permission to work with their energy, not against it
- User can name their capacity level and adjust accordingly