Stop the Autopilot

By Jessie Krall | Originally published on Krall Counseling

Sometimes it feels like I’m living my life on autopilot.

The motions are so familiar, so practiced, that I don’t even have to think. I’ll be leaving the house and suddenly ask myself, “Where’s my phone?” Only to realize—of course—it’s in my purse, the same place I always put it.

Autopilot.

Our routines become so dialed in that we stop engaging with them consciously. And honestly? It can start to feel like life is happening to me, rather than with me.

🌬️ Noticing the Autopilot Moments

Lately, I’ve started a simple practice: Whenever I catch myself in an autopilot moment, I name it.

“I just did that on autopilot.”

It sounds small, but that single moment of awareness has power. It brings the subconscious into the light. It calls me back into choice.

Think about how many times you’ve driven somewhere—maybe to work, the grocery store, a friend’s house—and realized you barely remembered the drive.That’s a little scary, right?

What would it be like to actually notice the trees as you passed them? To feel the wheel in your hands? To turn the act of driving into a meditation?

🧘‍♀️ Reclaim Your Aliveness Through the Body

One of the best ways to interrupt autopilot is to get into your body.

Try this, right now:

• Notice your feet on the floor

• Feel your seat in the chair

• Wiggle your fingers and toes

• Look around and find one thing in your space that brings you joy

• Pause to sense what happens in your body as you look at it

That’s it. That’s returning to yourself.

Because when you’re living on autopilot, it’s almost as if you’ve left your body. You’re not steering the bus anymore. You’re just gliding through.

And when that goes on too long? You might start to feel like a shell of yourself—dull, depleted, unmoored.

🌱 Choosing Presence

See if you can begin naming it:

“I’m on autopilot.”

Then, choose presence. Feel your body. Re-enter your life.

And notice how things begin to shift—not just around you, but within you.