The 5 Energy Instincts: How understanding yours can prevent burnout

Erin King, renowned energy management expert, keynote speaker, and creator of The Energy Exam®, helping individuals and teams unlock peak performance through science-backed strategies. Photo: Erin King

Park City local Erin King discusses the five distinct energy instincts from her 10,000-person study, and strategies to identify natural energy patterns to prevent burnout before it strikes.

PARK CITY, Utah — When Erin King collapsed in the middle of a Zoom meeting, she thought she was having a heart attack. Instead, doctors told her she had suffered a severe panic attack. The moment changed everything.

“I had no history of anxiety or stress or anything like that. I was just running so hard, and I wasn’t paying attention to my somatic signals,” King said. “I had done five keynotes in five different cities in seven days, and my body was talking to me—night terrors, difficulty swallowing, gasping for air in the middle of sentences—but I just powered through.”

That experience led King to pause her business and conduct a groundbreaking study on personal energy management. Teaming up with Ph.D. researchers, she spent a year conducting the largest global study on personal energy, surveying 10,000 people aged 16 to 64. The goal is to understand how individuals source, spend, and sustain energy.

Energy Instincts and Their Impact

King’s research found that high-energy, high-life satisfaction individuals don’t necessarily face fewer challenges than others. Instead, they manage their energy intentionally by aligning choices with their natural energy instincts.

Each of the five instincts has a distinct path to power:

Kinetic: Gains energy through competition and challenge.
Generative: Feels most charged when creating something from scratch.
Synergistic: Draws energy from deep personal connections or a higher purpose.
Responsive: Requires space and solitude to process information and recharge.
Rigorous: Thrives in structured, organized environments where processes and order drive productivity.

For leaders, understanding these energy instincts is a game-changer. “If you’re a kinetic leader who thrives on competition, you might assume that creating high-stakes challenges will motivate your team,” King said. “But if your team includes someone with a rigorous energy instinct, that approach will drain them. They need order, not uncertainty.”

Redefining Energy Management

One of the most surprising findings in King’s study debunked the social media-driven idea that more self-care routines equate to better energy levels.

“We found that people who did more than 32 energizing activities a week—workouts, journaling, meditation, cold plunges—actually had lower energy levels and life satisfaction scores,” she said. “More is not more. The optimal amount is just four to five intentional energy-boosting activities per day.”

King also challenges the traditional approach of recharging after burnout. “Recharging is good, but pre-charging is better,” she said. She advises high performers to anticipate energy-draining moments—difficult meetings, demanding projects—and schedule pre-charging activities to optimize their energy beforehand.

“Instead of waiting until you’re exhausted, prepare for your energy-draining tasks,” she said. “If you’re kinetic, challenge yourself before a big meeting. If you’re generative, engage in a creative exercise. If you’re synergistic, have a meaningful conversation beforehand.”

Energy’s Role in Leadership and Productivity

King has delivered 48 keynotes annually for organizations including Google, Disney, the Academy Awards, VISA, Adobe, and the U.S. Navy. She argues that energy management is not a “nice-to-have” soft skill—it’s the new time management.

“The biggest misconception is that energy is just about physical stamina or motivation,” she said. “Energy is our most critical resource, and yet companies still prioritize productivity over it. But the reality is, productivity is a byproduct of energy.”

Her study found that energy-rich human skills—intuition, empathy, creativity, adaptability—are what set individuals apart in the workforce, particularly in the age of AI. “We can’t compete with computers on competency anymore,” King said. “What we can compete on is energy.”

Living the Energy Management Philosophy

King, who recently moved from Orange County, California, to Park City, applies her own teachings in daily life.

“My husband, Hartman, is a generative energy type—he thrives on creating new things,” she said. “If I see him getting cranky, it usually means he’s been stuck in spreadsheets all week instead of inventing.”

Her own energy instinct is kinetic, which thrives on challenge. She recalled a keynote in December where she was scheduled to speak to a room full of Marines and Navy SEALs—an audience she initially found intimidating.

“I was about to fake an excuse to get out of it,” she admitted. “Then I realized—wait, I actually love a good challenge. I reframed it, leaned in, and ended up getting a standing ovation.”

Beyond work, she finds energy in adventures with her rescue dog, Miss Betty White. “She’s my little energizer,” King said. “And she gets plenty of kisses, right on the mouth.”

The Energy Institute and Next Steps

King’s Energy Institute provides resources, courses, and research-backed tools to help individuals optimize their energy for success. Her Energy Exam®, a free five-minute assessment, helps people identify their energy instinct and develop personalized strategies to maximize performance and well-being.

“The key isn’t to mimic someone else’s energy style,” King said. “It’s to understand how yours works best and align with it.”

For TownLift readers, King is offering half off the full Energy DNA Report, which includes a deep dive into personal energy sources, drainers, compatibility insights, and strategies for achieving peak performance.

“It’s not about doing more,” she said. “It’s about making energy effortless.”

For more information, visit energyexam.com and use code TOWNLIFT50 for 50% off the Energy DNA Report.