Every IT technician has the same first question. Before they look at anything, before they run diagnostics, before they even ask what’s wrong — “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
And it works. Almost embarrassingly often, it works.
We accept this without question for our devices. Overheating laptop? Reboot. Frozen phone? Hold the button, restart. We know that a system running too hot, too long, without a reset — eventually stops functioning the way it should.
So why don’t we apply this to ourselves?
When we’re exhausted, running on fumes, pushing through back-to-back days — we don’t unplug. We caffeinate. We push harder. We schedule a vacation six months out and tell ourselves we’ll rest then. Meanwhile the system is overheating.
The unplug doesn’t have to be a two-week holiday. It can be twenty minutes. A walk. A nap. A genuine laugh with someone you like. Play that has no productive outcome whatsoever. Meditation. Sitting outside without your phone. Whatever “off” looks like for you.
The point is the wait. The actual pause before you re-engage. Not a five-second restart — a real one.
Computers don’t feel guilty about rebooting. They don’t apologize for needing a reset. They just do it, come back cleaner, and work better.
You already know this works. You just need to apply it to the most important system you’re running.