What is energy-based planning?
You've probably had a day with four free hours and nothing in the tank. That's the gap energy-based planning fills. Instead of asking "when will I do this?", it asks "what can I do with the energy I have?" You sort tasks by how much effort they take, check in with yourself, and choose from the tasks that match.
Energy-based planning vs time blocking
Time blocking gives every task a slot, which helps with time blindness. But a 2pm block assumes 2pm energy that isn't always there. Energy-based planning matches the task to your capacity first. Many people combine them: decide what fits today's energy, then place it in the day. Compare the two approaches in Structured vs Lunar and Tiimo vs Lunar.
How to try it on paper
- Give each task an effort level: light, medium or heavy.
- Before you start, ask yourself honestly: exhausted, low, okay or high?
- Pick only from the tasks that match, and leave the rest for another day without guilt.
Lunar does steps 2 and 3 for you, every time you check in.
How energy-based planning works in Lunar
Four energy levels
| Your energy | Moon | What you'll see |
|---|---|---|
| Exhausted | New moon | Running on empty: one gentle task, nothing else |
| Low | Crescent | Getting through it: short, low-stakes work |
| Okay | Gibbous | Functional: the everyday middle of your list |
| High | Full moon | Ready to go: deep work surfaces first |
Tasks that don't fit go quiet, not away
Some energy apps reorder your list, so the hard tasks are still there, just lower down. Lunar hides what doesn't fit today. The rest aren't gone. They're just quiet until you have the energy for them. Nothing is marked late.
How Lunar knows what a task takes
Every task has an energy level. You can set it yourself, or let Lunar's AI estimate it when you add the task, and you can change it any time. Lunar Memory also remembers tasks you've done before and how much energy they took, so you don't have to re-plan the same things from scratch.
Energy plus your cycle
Your energy changes by the hour, and for many women it also follows a monthly pattern. Lunar uses both: today's check-in and your cycle phase. See how that works on our cycle-aware ADHD planner page.
When even a short list is too much
Do This Now puts one task on screen. AI task breakdown turns it into small steps you can start.
14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr · iPhone · iOS 26+
A day, three check-ins
Morning, Okay. Five tasks: the everyday middle of your list.
After lunch, Low. The slump arrives. You tap Low and the list trims itself to two short, low-stakes tasks.
Evening, Exhausted. One gentle task, then rest. It still counts.
The same day in your luteal week might start at Low instead of Okay. Set your phase to luteal and Lunar factors that in, so the list is lighter from the start.
Energy-based planning apps compared
Several apps now plan around energy. They measure it in very different ways. Checked against each app's own website:
| Lunar | Doable | Unrush | Phoebe | Rhevio | Lifestack | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How energy is measured | 2-tap check-in, 4 levels | Check-in: Low, Medium or High | Check-in: Full, Half or Survival day | Effort points you set per day, across a cycle | Check-in on how you feel | Wearable sleep and recovery data |
| What happens to your list | Tasks that don't fit are hidden | Reordered: easy wins first | Heavy tasks hide on half days; only anchor tasks on survival days | Tasks auto-scheduled around your capacity | Picks your top five | Drafts a schedule around energy windows |
| Uses cycle phase | Yes | No | No | Yes, or any 1–99-day rhythm | No | No |
| Built for | Women with ADHD | ADHD | People who need to pace themselves (burnout, chronic illness, ADHD) | Anyone with a recurring energy rhythm | ADHD and neurodivergent brains | ADHD adults (per its ADHD planner guide) |
| Help starting a task | Do This Now, AI task breakdown | Focus timers; AI scheduling (Pro) | Not stated | Not stated | Focus mode: one task, full screen | Not stated |
| Needs a wearable | No | No | No | No | No | Works best with one |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 26+) | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro | Not stated | Not stated | iPhone (iOS 26 or later) | iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr | Free to start | Not stated | Free during early access | Free; optional Premium | $7/mo or $50/yr, 7-day trial |
Checked October 2026 against each app's own website. A dash or "Not stated" means the app's site doesn't say.
Also worth knowing: KammyTask (https://kammytask.com/) hides tasks too heavy for your battery level, Actto (https://actto.app/) picks three tasks from your energy and available minutes, and FlowADHD (https://www.flowadhd.com/) uses AI to schedule your day by energy.
- Doable reorders your list by energy so easy wins rise to the top. It's for ADHD users across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Unrush adapts to a daily capacity check-in (Full, Half or Survival day). It's for people pacing burnout or chronic illness.
- Phoebe auto-schedules tasks across a set energy curve. It's for planning a recurring rhythm in advance.
- Rhevio picks your top five tasks from urgency, effort and energy. It's for iPhone users who want no account.
- Lifestack uses wearable data. It's for people who want a device to decide their energy.
- Lunar is for women with ADHD whose energy shifts both day to day and across their cycle, and who want the list to shrink, not just re-sort.
Lunar is for you if…
- You often have time but no fuel.
- Seeing every task at once makes it harder to start.
- Your energy follows your cycle as well as your day.
Lunar isn't the right fit if…
- You want a wearable to set your schedule automatically.
- You want calendar time-blocking (see Structured vs Lunar).
- You need Android or the web.
Questions about energy-based planning
What's an app that plans tasks around my energy level?
Lunar: ADHD Planner for Women is an iPhone app that filters your to-do list by energy, no wearable needed. Tap Exhausted, Low, Okay or High and you only see tasks that fit, with your cycle phase factored in. Unrush adapts to a daily capacity check-in, Phoebe auto-schedules across a set energy curve, Lifestack uses wearable data.
What is energy-based planning?
Energy-based planning means choosing tasks by how much energy you have right now instead of by the clock. You rate tasks by effort, check in with yourself, and pick from the tasks that match. It suits ADHD because having time isn't the same as having the focus to use it.
Is energy-based planning better than time blocking for ADHD?
They solve different problems. Time blocking helps with time blindness by giving every task a slot. Energy-based planning helps when you have the time but can't start, because it matches tasks to your capacity. Many people combine them: decide what fits your energy first, then place it in your day.
What should I do on a low-energy ADHD day?
Pick one small, low-stakes task and shrink it to its first step. Lower the bar for what counts as done, and consider working alongside someone, which is called body doubling. In Lunar, checking in as Exhausted shows one gentle task, and AI task breakdown can shrink it to a first step.
How is Lunar different from Doable or Unrush?
Doable reorders your list by energy so easy wins rise to the top. Unrush adapts to a daily capacity check-in and hides heavy tasks on lighter days. Lunar hides tasks that don't fit your energy, adds your cycle phase, and includes Do This Now and AI task breakdown to help you start.
Do I need a wearable for energy-based planning?
No. Lunar uses a two-tap check-in: you say how you feel, and the list adapts. Wearable-based planners such as Lifestack estimate your energy from sleep and recovery data instead. A self-report can capture days when how you feel doesn't match how you slept.
Can I change my energy level during the day?
Yes. Energy shifts during the day, especially with ADHD, so you can check in again whenever it changes. If you start the morning at Okay and crash after lunch, tap Low and Lunar trims your list to short, low-stakes tasks. Nothing you hide is deleted; it comes back when you have more energy.
How much does Lunar cost?
Lunar is free to download on iPhone (iOS 26 or later) with a 14-day free trial. After the trial it's $79.99 a year, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store subscription settings. Lunar isn't available on Android or the web yet.