The 5 day reset. How to stop living life on autopilot
Introduction: When life becomes a loop
You wake up, check your phone, rush through your morning routine, tackle your to-do list, collapse into bed, and repeat. Sound familiar?
If you're reading this, chances are you've had that unsettling moment of looking around and thinking, "How did I get here? Is this really the life I wanted?" You're not alone. Millions of women find themselves living on autopilot, going through the motions without truly choosing their path.
What does "autopilot" actually mean? It's when your days are driven by habit, obligation, and external expectations rather than conscious choice. It's saying "yes" when you mean "no," scrolling instead of sleeping, and feeling like life is happening to you rather than with you.
The good news? You can shift out of autopilot mode, and it doesn't require a dramatic life overhaul. This 5 day reset will help you recognize where you've been running on automatic and give you practical tools to start living more intentionally.
Day 1: Awareness identify where you're running on autopilot
Today's mission: Become a detective of your own life.
Morning practice (5 minutes): Before you reach for your phone or jump into your routine, pause and ask yourself:
How am I feeling right now?
What am I looking forward to today?
What am I dreading?
Throughout the day: Set three random phone alarms. When they go off, pause and notice:
What were you just doing?
Were you present or just going through the motions?
How does your body feel?
What thoughts are running through your mind?
Evening reflection: Write down three things you did today purely out of habit or obligation. Examples might be:
Checking social media first thing in the morning
Saying "fine" when someone asked how you are (when you weren't fine)
Staying late at work because "that's what you do"
Watching TV instead of doing something you actually enjoy
Key insight: Awareness is the first step to change. You can't shift what you don't see.
Day 2: The pause learn to stop before reacting or committing
Today's mission: Create space between trigger and response.
The power of the pause: Most autopilot behaviors happen because we react instantly to requests, emotions, or situations. Today, you're going to practice pausing before you respond to anything.
Morning intention: Choose a simple phrase to use today when someone asks something of you:
"Let me think about that and get back to you"
"I need to check my calendar first"
"That's interesting, let me consider it"
The 5 second rule: Before you:
Respond to a text
Say yes to a request
Make a purchase
Choose what to eat
React to frustration
Count to five. Breathe. Then choose your response consciously.
Practice opportunities:
When your phone buzzes, pause before checking it
When someone asks for your time, pause before committing
When you feel stressed, pause before reacting
When you're about to complain, pause and ask if it's helpful
Evening check in:
Where did pausing feel most challenging today?
What did you notice when you created space before responding?
How many times did you catch yourself about to react automatically?
Key insight: Between stimulus and response, there's a space. In that space lies your power to choose.
Day 3: Say no once practice one intentional "no" today
Today's mission: Reclaim your time and energy with one conscious "no."
Why this matters: Every "yes" to something you don't want is a "no" to something you do want. Today you'll practice honoring your own needs and boundaries.
Find your "no" opportunity: Look for one chance today to say no to something that doesn't align with your values, energy, or goals. This could be:
Declining to stay late at work when it's not urgent
Saying no to plans you don't genuinely want to attend
Not volunteering for something just because no one else will
Choosing not to engage in gossip or negative conversation
Declining to help with something when your plate is already full
Scripts for graceful nos:
"I appreciate you thinking of me, but I can't take this on right now"
"That sounds lovely, but I have other commitments"
"I'm not available for that, but thank you for asking"
"I've decided to be more selective with my time lately"
"Let me suggest someone else who might be perfect for this"
The guilt check: When guilt arises (and it probably will), remind yourself:
You're not responsible for other people's disappointment
Saying no to one thing means saying yes to something else
People respect boundaries more than you think they will
You can't pour from an empty cup
Evening reflection:
What did you say no to today?
How did it feel before, during, and after?
What became possible because you protected your time/energy?
What did you say "yes" to instead?
Key insight: Your "no" is sacred. It protects your "yes" for what truly matters.
Day 4: Micro adventures break routine with something new
Today's mission: Shake up your routine in one small way.
Why break routine? Routine can be helpful, but when everything becomes routine, we stop noticing life. Today you'll inject novelty into your day to wake up your awareness and sense of possibility.
Choose your micro adventure: Pick something small but different. The goal isn't to do something Instagram worthy, it's to do something conscious. Options include:
Take a different route to work
Try a new coffee shop or tea flavor
Call someone you haven't talked to in months
Eat lunch somewhere new
Listen to a different genre of music
Wear something you never wear
Have a conversation with a stranger (safely!)
Explore a part of your town you've never visited
Try a new recipe for dinner
Write in a journal if you never do, or draw if you never draw
Stay present during your adventure:
Notice what you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel
Pay attention to what surprises you
Observe any resistance or excitement that comes up
Be curious rather than judgmental about the experience
Micro adventures for introverts:
Rearrange your furniture
Take a different walking route
Try a new playlist while working
Read outside instead of inside
Change your morning routine order
Evening reflection:
What did you try differently today?
What did you notice or learn?
How did breaking routine make you feel?
What other small changes might you want to experiment with?
Key insight: Small changes in routine create openings for new perspectives and possibilities.
Day 5: Future check in visualize your path forward
Today's mission: Look ahead and make a conscious choice about your direction.
The power of projection: Today you'll imagine two different futures: one where you continue on autopilot, and one where you live more intentionally. This isn't about judgment, it's about clarity.
Morning visualization (10 minutes):
Scenario 1: Life on autopilot
Close your eyes and imagine it's one year from today. You've continued living exactly as you have been, same routines, same responses, same patterns. Picture:
What does a typical day look like?
How do you feel when you wake up?
What relationships and opportunities have you missed?
How does your body feel?
What regrets are starting to surface?
Don't judge this vision, just observe it clearly.
Scenario 2: Life with intention
Now imagine the same timeline, but you've continued making small, conscious choices. You've kept practicing awareness, pausing, boundary setting, and staying open to new experiences. Picture:
What does a typical day look like now?
How do you feel when you wake up?
What relationships have deepened or emerged?
What opportunities have you created or noticed?
How does your body feel?
What are you proud of?
Midday action: Based on your morning visualization, choose one small action to take today that aligns with your intentional future. This could be:
Reaching out to someone who matters to you
Starting a project you've been putting off
Having an important conversation
Making a small change to your environment
Scheduling something you've been wanting to do
Evening integration: Write a letter to yourself from one year in the future. Let your future self tell you:
What the most important changes were
Which fears turned out to be paper tigers
What you're grateful your past self had the courage to start
One piece of loving advice for moving forward
Key insight: The future isn't something that happens to you, it's something you create with each conscious choice.
Closing: Your reset toolkit
Congratulations! You've completed your 5 day reset. You now have four powerful tools in your intentional living toolkit:
Awareness practice: Regular check ins with yourself
The pause: Space between trigger and response
Boundary setting: The power of conscious nos and yeses
Routine disruption: Small changes that create new possibilities
Moving forward: Living intentionally isn't a destination, it's a practice. Some days you'll nail it, others you'll find yourself back on autopilot. That's normal and human. The difference is that now you have the tools to notice and adjust.
Consider choosing one practice from this reset to continue for the next week. Maybe it's the daily check ins, maybe it's pausing before commitments, maybe it's saying no to one thing per week that doesn't serve you.
Remember: You don't need to overhaul your entire life to stop living on autopilot. You just need to start making choices that are truly yours, one conscious moment at a time.
Your life is not a dress rehearsal. It's happening right now, and you get to choose how.
What will you choose today?