Fall can be a great time to take a look at which habits are serving you and which ones are no longer helpful, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed or emotional burnout.
This kind of burnout goes beyond just feeling tired; it affects our ability to stay engaged in our relationships and maintain a sense of balance in life – it feels like we are on autopilot. When we’re on autopilot, days can blur together, leaving us feeling like time has slipped away. You might find yourself constantly managing emotional demands from all corners of life – whether it’s personal, professional, or within relationships. Physically, you’re there, but emotionally, you might feel checked out.
To help you regain a sense of grounding and balance, try these five emotional wellness days that I personally incorporate into my routine as a psychotherapist. These are small, manageable practices designed to help you reconnect with yourself and stay present in your daily life.
Unplug Day
Take a break from social media and doomscrolling. We scroll social media mindlessly as a passive form of engagement, which adds to the feeling of being on autopilot. The goal of unplug day is to disconnect yourself from digital distractions.
Unplugging from social media allows your brain some time to decompress. When we are over-engaged with social media, our brain is hyperactive and processing a lot of information in short bursts. This causes over-stimulation and exhaustion.
Unplugging also gives you some space from cultural and informational overload. We can get sucked into social media comparisons and feeling like we aren’t doing enough – which leads to feeling more and more disconnected. Taking a digital break creates mental space and helps you reconnect with yourself without external noise.
If you need help unplugging, use the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone and let your loved ones know beforehand that you won’t be available for a certain amount of time.
Connection Day
When living in auto-pilot, it can become very easy to de-prioritize socializing and spending time with friends. You might find yourself saying “I’m busy this week, let’s look at next week” every week or cancelling last minute on your plans. That’s why having a dedicated day (or evening) to spend meaningful time with your friends, at a minimum, is important. Treat it like you would a meeting on your calendar! Social connection is essential for emotional health and combats loneliness, making you feel supported and valued. The goal of connection day is to deepen relationships and emotional support. In order to make this easier to remember, schedule a standing coffee, lunch, or dinner with certain friends once a month.
Hobby Day
Finding time for intentionally engaging in creative activities, without obligation or the need to be ‘good’ at it. This time is for connecting with the creative, silly, and fun parts of yourself – it’s being playful. Play is an important part of rest, and sometimes, as adults we stop doing playful things. So, do an expressive activity like dancing, singing, or creative writing.
The goal for an emotional release day is to process and release pent-up emotions and tension. Suppressed emotions lead to stress and burnout, while regular emotional releases keep you emotionally balanced and lighter.
Pro tip: Keep a list of things that help you feel emotional release so you’re not stressed out thinking about what you should do when you have the time.
Learning and Growth Day
We are curious beings by nature, and being auto-pilot means that you are not doing anything new that sparks your curiosity. When we feel we are “just going through the motions,” this might mean we are not engaging the part of our brain that thrives on a little bit of a challenge or learning something new. So, once a month dedicate time to reading, listening to podcasts, or taking a class that excites you.
The goal of learning and growth day is to feed your curiosity, challenge yourself out of your comfort zone, and invest in personal development. Lifelong learning fosters a sense of purpose and helps combat feelings of stagnation. It can spark inspiration and rekindle motivation, especially when life feels monotonous.
If you don’t know where to start, join a class with a friend so that you have an accountability partner and get to socialize.
No Plans Day
When we have emotional exhaustion, we give too much of ourselves to others and are not doing enough to replenish our emotional energy. So, once a month, carve out time to be with yourself in an active and engaged way. This day is about stepping away from the constant demands of daily life, giving yourself time to focus on being with yourself, rather than doing things with others.
In other words, it doesn’t mean just bed rotting and watching the new season of “Emily in Paris” (there is a time and place for that, too!). Instead, take yourself out to a lunch or dinner solo-date, sit in the park and let yourself day dream, or explore a new exhibit at a local gallery. Pick activities that allow you to fully immerse yourself in the present moment so that you can reconnect with your inner self.
The goal of no plans day is help you tune into what makes you happy and restore your emotional energy reserve. By intentionally setting aside time for solitude, you create a space where you can reflect on your own needs. Subscribe to newsletters in your community for arts and culture, this way you will always have an idea of where you can go for a solo date.
As a final note, these emotional wellness days don’t have to be full days, they can be a few hours of the day, or even moments throughout the day where you take time to pause. I encourage you to work within your schedule to find ways to incorporate these into your routine.
Israa Nasir is a New York City-based psychotherapist and writer and the founder of The Well Guide, a digital community for mental health awareness. Israa received her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Toronto and her master’s in counseling at Adelphi University in New York. She is also certified in cognitive behavior therapy and rational emotive behavioral therapy. Israa is a PS Council member.
