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- July 23rd, 2025 - Tech Tools That Respect Your Boundaries: Automation That Works With Your Brain
July 23rd, 2025 - Tech Tools That Respect Your Boundaries: Automation That Works With Your Brain
Week 3 of Tech Boundaries & Digital Wellness + Building Systems That Prevent Creative Burnout
Amanda Nelson
July 23, 2025
Welcome to Week 3 of our Tech Boundaries & Digital Wellness journey! 🌟
Last week, we explored workspace design for creative flow. Today, we're diving into Tech Tools That Respect Your Boundaries: because automation should work with your brain, not against it.
Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. Purchases made through these links support my work and art at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
🎯 Week 3 Focus: Building Systems That Prevent Creative Burnout
I've watched brilliant creators burn out from poorly designed automation. The solution? Tools that adapt to your energy levels and respect your natural rhythms.
But first, let's define what we mean by "respectful automation." Respectful automation is technology that amplifies your creativity without overwhelming your system. It's automation that works with your brain's natural patterns, not against them.
The Automation Problem
Most automation tools are designed for linear, predictable workflows. But creative work is anything but predictable. When automation fights your natural rhythms, you end up:
Feeling controlled by rigid systems that don't adapt
Experiencing decision fatigue from too many automated choices
Losing creative momentum when systems break your flow
Building dependency on tools that don't understand your brain
The Solution: Brain-Friendly Automation
Your automation should be as flexible as your creative process. Here's how to build systems that respect your boundaries:
🤖 Automation That Respects Your Energy Levels
Energy-Aware Workflow Design
The Energy Mapping Principle Your automation should adapt to your energy levels, not force you to adapt to it. I design my systems around three energy states:
High Energy Mode (Creative Flow)
Automation focus: Complex tasks, creative ideation, system building
Tools: Advanced automation, multi-step workflows, creative software
Perfect for: Building new systems, deep creative work, learning new tools
Medium Energy Mode (Maintenance & Refinement)
Automation focus: Routine tasks, content scheduling, basic maintenance
Tools: Simple automation, batch processing, template systems
Perfect for: Content creation, routine updates, system maintenance
Low Energy Mode (Recovery & Reflection)
Automation focus: Minimal interaction, passive systems, gentle reminders
Tools: Read-only dashboards, gentle notifications, archive systems
Perfect for: Rest days, reflection, passive learning
My Energy-Aware Automation Stack
("Stack" is thrown around a lot in tech and all it means is a list of your languages, libraries etc. that make your workflow or project work. In this case we're just talking about the software and workflows I have for keeping my personal needs in check with my other goals.)
High Energy Tools:
Make.com: Complex multi-step automations for creative workflows
Cursor AI: Advanced coding assistance and system building
Obsidian: Deep knowledge management and creative ideation
Medium Energy Tools:
Custom Python and shell scripts: Run frequent commands without having to remember syntax or navigate complex interfaces
StreamDeck: Physical buttons for shortcuts and workflows—I honestly love using this to help me not have to worry about remembering shortcuts, because I have them at hand. Using the text input for job applications has been a gamechanger actually
Repurpose.io: Content repurposing and multi-platform distribution
Low Energy Tools:
Momentum: Browser dashboard for the "new tab" across all workspaces and browsers which allows for some consistency between devices and browsers
Archive systems: Passive organization that doesn't require decisions
🛠️ Setting Up Systems That Prevent Creative Burnout
The "Gentle Automation" Framework
Principle 1: Start Simple, Scale Thoughtfully Begin with one automation that solves a specific pain point. Master it before adding complexity.
My First Automation: Email categorization
Problem: Inbox overwhelm was draining creative energy
Solution: Simple Gmail filters that sort emails by urgency and type
Result: Reduced decision fatigue and clearer mental space
Principle 2: Build in Recovery Time Every automation should include built-in breaks and recovery periods.
My Example: I have scheduled "catch up days" built into my schedule at its core on Tuesdays and Fridays, purposefully for the general energy astrologically of the week
These days let me actually rest and delegate tasks (usually admin and dishes) to future me, guilt-free
If I don't have anything to catch up on at the end of those days, I have to enjoy my time (darn!)
Built-in permission to not be productive without guilt
Principle 3: Don't Get Overwhelmed When Errors Occur You should have systems in place to handle automation failures gracefully without overwhelming yourself.
My Error Management System: I create an email label for Make.com automations where if there are errors, there are usually multiple, so they all get lumped together for when I'm able to next address them. This prevents error overwhelm and lets me batch-process issues when I have the mental capacity.
Tools That Amplify Creativity Without Overwhelming
The "Less Is More" Principle The best automation is often the simplest. Here are tools that amplify creativity without overwhelming:
Content Creation & Distribution
Metricool: Comprehensive analytics and scheduling for social media platforms.
Canva: Design platform for creating visuals easily.
Knowledge Management & AI
Obsidian: For deep knowledge management and idea organization.
Perplexity: AI-powered research assistant to support fact-checking and content creation.
Workflow & Automation
Make.com: Build visual workflows that simplify complex processes.
Zapier: Automate routine tasks across multiple platforms.
💡 Pro Tip: Create Your Energy-Aware Automation Plan
Step 1: Map Your Energy Patterns Take 10 minutes to identify your natural energy rhythms:
When do you feel most creative and focused?
When do you need gentle support and minimal interaction?
When do you have energy for system building and learning?
What triggers energy crashes or creative blocks?
Step 2: Design Your Automation Stack Based on your energy patterns, create three automation categories:
High Energy Automations:
Complex creative workflows
System building and optimization
Learning new tools and techniques
Medium Energy Automations:
Routine content creation
Basic maintenance tasks
Simple scheduling and organization
Low Energy Automations:
Passive data collection
Gentle reminders and prompts
Archive and organization systems
Step 3: Implement One Energy-Aware System Start with one automation that respects your energy levels:
High energy: Build a complex creative workflow
Medium energy: Set up simple content scheduling
Low energy: Create a passive knowledge collection system
🌟 Pythoness Network: Weekly Wrap Up Co-Working Session
Join us for our weekly co-working session focused on automation and system building! This session will help you:
Apply this week's automation principles to your specific workflows
Build energy-aware systems that work with your brain
Share automation wins and challenges with the community
What to Expect:
15-minute check-in and automation sharing
90 minutes of focused system building time
15-minute wrap-up and celebration of progress
Perfect for: Anyone building automation systems, optimizing workflows, or wanting to create tools that respect their energy levels.
📚 Resource Spotlight: Make.com
Ready to build automation that respects your energy levels? I'm a huge fan of Make.com (formerly Integromat)—it's the automation platform that actually works with creative brains.
Why I Love Make.com:
Visual workflow builder that makes automation intuitive and transparent
Flexible scheduling that adapts to your energy patterns
Error handling that prevents system crashes and burnout
Scalable complexity from simple to advanced automation
Recovery-friendly design with built-in breaks and buffer time
Perfect for: Anyone who wants to build automation that grows with their creative practice. I've been using it for years to create systems that respect my energy levels and creative rhythms.
Try Make.com for free (Start with their free plan to explore visual automation building)
Pro Tip: Start with one simple automation that solves a specific pain point. Master it before adding complexity. The best automation is often the simplest.
🎧 Community Corner
Have a question about automation or system building? Reply to this email—I'd love to feature your question in an upcoming newsletter.
🌟 Personal Update
Reflecting on this week, I've been focusing on how "Respectful Automation" really is a personal challenge. Our systems need to adjust to our current state, which may change unexpectedly. Energy levels, influenced by chronic fatigue and chronic pain, require me to honor my body and mind. This awareness is further complicated by the fact that, as a woman, I navigate a world designed for 24-hour cycles, when my body follows a 28-day rhythm.
Embracing who I am in each moment, and using my tech stack as a set of ten swords, I reveal not only resilience but also resourcefulness when automations inevitably falter. I've also taken time to examine my boundaries. Although I jokingly claim, "I don't code after midnight," it's about avoiding deep creative work that might escalate into all-night thinking marathons unless addressed with care.
Last night, as sleep proved elusive, the need for a more structured end to my "no deep focus work" time prompted a change. I allowed myself to be awake but set a boundary preventing laptop use before 9 a.m., giving my mind the rest it craved after a night of tossing and turning.
These reflections remind me that it's not just about technology but about creating boundaries that honor our unique rhythms.
📅 Coming Up Next Week
Week 4: Building Sustainable Digital Habits
Creating tech routines that prevent overwhelm
Long-term strategies for digital wellbeing
Building systems that grow with your creative practice
Until next week, remember: Your automation should work with your brain, not against it. Let's build systems that respect your boundaries and amplify your creativity.
With joy and clarity,
Amanda
The Pythoness Programmer
P.S. Don't forget to join our Weekly Wrap Up Co-Working session this Friday! It's the perfect opportunity to apply this week's automation principles and build systems that work with your energy levels.
P.P.S. If you know someone who could benefit from better automation design, please share this newsletter with them. The more creatives we can help build sustainable systems, the better our digital world becomes.