Energy Filtering

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Overview

Energy filtering helps you see only the tasks that match your current mental state. Instead of fighting through your entire task list when you’re tired, filter for “Low Energy” tasks and tackle what you can actually handle right now.

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Energy Levels Explained

Arre uses three energy levels to categorize tasks:

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Low Energy

Simple, routine tasks that don’t require much mental effort:

• Responding to straightforward emails
• Filing documents
• Updating spreadsheets with existing data
• Scheduling appointments
• Light administrative work

When to use: After lunch dips, end of workday, or when you’re tired but still want to be productive.

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Neutral

Standard tasks with moderate complexity:

• Attending meetings
• Reviewing documents
• Writing routine reports
• Making phone calls
• Most day-to-day work

When to use: Normal working hours when you’re neither particularly energized nor drained.

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High Focus

Deep work requiring concentration and mental clarity:

• Writing proposals or presentations
• Complex problem-solving
• Code reviews or development
• Strategic planning
• Creative work
• Learning new concepts

When to use: Your peak mental hours - often morning for most people, but identify your own prime time. Reference: task.ts:11, EnergyFilter.tsx:18-34

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Using the Energy Filter

The energy filter appears on your Dashboard (Inbox) page.

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Visual Indicators

Each energy level has a distinct color:

• Low Energy: Orange/amber dot
• Neutral: Gray dot
• High Focus: Purple dot

The selected filter pill becomes active with enhanced styling and the colored dot becomes more prominent. Reference: EnergyFilter.tsx:54-66

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Assigning Energy Levels to Tasks

When creating or editing a task:

1. Find the Energy Level section in the task editor
2. Click one of the three pills: Low, Neutral, or High
3. The selected energy level is highlighted

All tasks default to “Neutral” if you don’t explicitly set an energy level. Reference: TaskEditorModal.tsx:249-263

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How to Choose Energy Levels

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Matching Work to Your Energy

The power of energy filtering comes from aligning tasks with your current capacity:

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Benefits of Energy Filtering

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Reduces Decision Fatigue

When you’re tired, deciding what to work on next is exhausting. Energy filtering eliminates options that aren’t suitable for your current state.

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Increases Completion Rates

You’re more likely to finish tasks when they match your energy level. This builds momentum and confidence.

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Prevents Burnout

By not forcing high-focus work when you’re depleted, you protect yourself from mental exhaustion and maintain sustainable productivity.

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Maximizes High-Energy Periods

Filtering helps you identify and prioritize deep work during your peak hours instead of wasting them on trivial tasks.

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Common Patterns

Mostly neutral tasks

If most of your tasks are neutral, you might not be differentiating enough. Push yourself to identify truly easy tasks (Low) and genuinely challenging work (High). This makes filtering more valuable.

Too many high-focus tasks

If everything is marked High, either:

• You’re being too hard on yourself (most tasks are actually Neutral)
• You need to delegate or eliminate some work
• You’re overcommitted and should reduce your workload

Remember: Most people can only do 3-4 hours of genuine deep work per day.

Avoiding high-focus tasks

If you find yourself always filtering to Low or Neutral, you might be procrastinating on important work. Schedule protected time for High Focus tasks when you know you’ll have the energy.

Energy levels change over time

A task that was High Focus when you first learned the skill might become Neutral or even Low as you gain expertise. Update energy levels periodically as your abilities grow.

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Tips for Success

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Be Honest

Don’t mark tasks as Low Energy just because you want to avoid them. Accurate energy levels make filtering actually useful.

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Track Your Energy Patterns

Notice when you naturally have high focus time. Most people have 2-4 hour windows of peak mental clarity. Schedule your High Focus tasks during these windows.

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Batch Similar Energy Levels

Consider grouping Low Energy tasks together (e.g., “admin hour” every afternoon) to maximize your high-energy time for important work.

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Review and Adjust

Your energy patterns might change with seasons, sleep quality, or life circumstances. What’s Low Energy in one phase of life might be High Focus in another.

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Integration with Other Features

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Productivity Metrics

The Daily Focus metric specifically tracks High Focus task completions, encouraging you to protect time for deep work. Reference: DashboardStats.tsx:48-75

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Projects

You can combine project grouping with energy filtering. For example, see only High Focus tasks within your “Work” project.

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Task Management

Energy levels are a core task property, stored alongside title, date, and project assignment. Reference: task.ts:4-17

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Related Features