highly sensitive power

I have a little fantasy about a reset button, probably prompted by my love of science fiction. When I’ve maneuvered myself into a state of overwhelming complexity or pushed myself harder than is healthy, I imagine that I actually have a reset button. It’s located in the part of my back that I can’t reach on my own, which means I need to ask someone else to push it to reset me, providing me with a double-check. “Are you sure?” they would ask, finger poised. “Yes. Please. And make it quick,” I’d say. They’d push the button and calm would descend. Worries would fade out. And tiredness would be replaced by pep.

Alas.

The next best thing to an actual reset button is a collection of reset activities that do the same thing. I reset by going for a longish walk by myself, reading a novel in the bathtub, watching a DVD that makes me laugh, burrowing under a pile of warm covers and letting my mind roam around on its own without a leash, or getting out of town for the weekend. I try to pay attention to what resets and resuscitates me so the options continue to increase.

What activities push your reset button? At this time of year, when busyness can feel unavoidable in spite of our best intentions, being able to push your own button is a good thing.