Have you ever found yourself burnt out, overwhelmed and tired? These are all sensations that are completely normal and common among modern adults. Stress is a response from our bodies trying to protect us from threats, even if the threat is an email that you’ve been putting off sending for days.

The truth is that sometimes in moments of stress the best thing you can do is take a step back, and a social reset may be just what you need.

What is a social reset?

Simply stated, it’s intentional time you can set aside for yourself to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect with limited communication with the outside world.

I am certainly no stranger to moments of stress. It can feel difficult to take time alone, and being intentional with your alone time can involve a lot of guesswork for a person who is just learning how. As I learn about this alongside you, I’m finding five easy steps to try out.

Step One: Disconnect

The first step to starting your social reset is limiting your phone usage in whatever way works best for you. Having your phone available at any given moment may feel essential. But constant scrolling and exposure to a plethora of online content is wreaking havoc on your nervous system.

When I begin to feel overwhelmed or have moments of self-doubt, I often delete social media apps from my home screen.

For you, this may look like putting your phone on do-not-disturb or even turning it off and putting it away.

Remember, your notifications will still be there when you return, and the purpose of a social reset is to postpone contact with others until you feel you've gotten some rest and recovery.

Step Two: Make Space

The next step is to set an intentional space for yourself to spend time while you are turning your attention inward. You’ll want to ideally look for a space like your apartment or bedroom. Take a quick visual inventory of the space and notice anything that could be slightly changed or rearranged to create a more peaceful environment. This may look like using lamp lighting instead of overhead lighting, diffusing some essential oils, and tidying up.

Photo courtesy of Camden Stoneleigh in Austin, TX

Step Three: Set an Intention

Now that your space is suited to your liking, it is time to set an intention for what you’d like to focus on during your social reset and how you will accomplish it.

It may look like jumping into a solo hobby you’d been putting off, while for others it may look like sitting on the couch and binge-watching your favorite show for a few hours.

There is no right or wrong answer. Just be sure to pick something that feels right for you and prioritizes alone time, or time with relatives within your household.

Once you’ve spent some time reflecting, set your intention by writing it down on a piece of paper by answering these two questions:

• What would I like to achieve for myself out of this social reset?

• What will I do to make sure this goal is achieved?

The answers should look something like this:

• I would like to achieve relaxation and lower level of overall stress for myself

• I will achieve this by taking intentional alone time to do a puzzle and watch a movie.

Step Four: Self Care

Now that you’ve got your intentions set on paper, you’re going to set it down in your prepared space in a place where you will see it when you return. The next step is to complete at least one act of self-care, but truly the more the merrier!

Self-care looks different for everyone, but some ideas for how to complete this step could be making a delicious meal if you are hungry, taking a relaxing bath or even just taking a nap.

The options are endless, so get creative and make sure that your intention for the reset is infused into whatever you choose to do. Self-care will prime the body for relaxation and is almost sure to help you decompress.

Photo Courtesy of Tony Pham via Unsplash

Step Five: Re-SET!

Now is the time for you to sit back and receive all the nice things you have prepared for yourself to enjoy during the reset. It could even be fun to prepare yourself a little gift ahead of time to open when you settle into your space at this point.

The last thing you will do is read back over the intention you set earlier and let it happen.

Always remember that whether your reset is 20 minutes long or two days, you are the focus, and give yourself a big hug for taking the steps necessary to pour into yourself.

A good tip is to keep a journal or notebook nearby for any revelations you may have about situations pertaining to the outside world so you can return to them later.

Once you’ve completed your reset, you can celebrate the relief you feel from taking intentional alone time. Some of the benefits of intentional alone time include increased creativity, increased sense of self, and reduced stress, and has even been shown to improve your relationships with others. Now take stride in the world feeling peaceful, inspired, and relaxed. Looking for more relaxation tips? Check out this article on Simply Camden.