Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!

E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!

Discover

Things to Do When You Feel Emotionally Drained

12 items

Snow Is

There was a time when I felt completely burned out, and I remember realizing that I didn't really want advice or another list of things I *should* be doing. I just wanted to feel a little less overwhelmed. So I started paying attention to the small t... the books, movies, recipes, and simple comforts that made doing less feel a little more okay.

Sections

Read something that asks nothing from you

Bake something ridiculously easy

Make yourself a comforting drink

Give yourself permission to do nothing

Listen to something familiar

Watch Something Comforting

Read something that asks nothing from you

When I was completely burned out, I remember picking up Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and finding myself unexpectedly comforted by how quiet it felt. I wasn't looking for advice or anything that would make me feel like I needed to get my life togethe...

I picked this up during a time when I felt completely burned out, and it ended up being exactly the kind of book I needed. It’s a small, cozy story about books, an old Tokyo bookshop, and finding your way through a difficult season without everything...

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop: Cozy Tokyo Tale

Bake something ridiculously easy

One thing I found myself doing when I was really drained was baking something ridiculously simple. Nothing fancy, nothing that required me to spend hours in the kitchen. Just an easy cake that I could make without thinking too much. I remember making...

For those days when baking sounds comforting but an elaborate recipe sounds like too much work. This book has simple, approachable bakes that don't require a pile of equipment or a whole afternoon in the kitchen — exactly the kind of thing I'd put on...

Snacking Bakes: Simple Recipes for Treats

Make yourself a comforting drink

Don't rush to do anything There were days when even the smallest things felt like they required too much effort. On those days, I learned that sometimes I didn't need another activity to fill the time. I could simply stay still. I'd have my drink, si...

For when you don't have the energy to make anything complicated but still want something warm and comforting. Just a little cup of chocolate, a blanket, and nowhere you need to be for the next few minutes.

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix 50ct

Give yourself permission to do nothing

There have been days when I knew I was tired, but still felt guilty for not doing anything about it. I would make a mental list of all the things I should be catching up on, only to feel even more exhausted thinking about them. Eventually, I started ...

For the kind of day when getting dressed feels like one more thing on the list. A soft, simple knit like this can be an easy choice when you want to feel comfortable and put together without having to think too much about what to wear.

Ekouaer Women's Long Sleeve Knit Pajama Set

Listen to something familiar

When I'm emotionally drained, discovering something new isn't always what I want. Sometimes I just want something I already know. A familiar song, an album I've listened to too many times, or a podcast where I already know the voices can feel strange... something familiar enough that I don't have to think about it.

A good one to pick up when you don't have the energy for a full story but still want something to sit with. Matt Haig brings together short reflections, thoughts, and reminders about life, so you can read a little, put it down, and come back whenever...

The Comfort Book

A small book that carries more feeling than its simple story might suggest. Beneath the whimsical journey are thoughts about loneliness, friendship, love, and the things we can easily lose sight of when life gets too complicated. A lovely choice for ...

The Little Prince

A book to reach for when life has started feeling like a long list of things you have to get through. Mitch Albom’s conversations with Morrie touch on love, work, loss, relationships, and what actually makes a life meaningful. It’s the kind of book t...

Tuesdays with Morrie: Life's Greatest Lesson

Sometimes you don't need a book to teach you anything — you just need somewhere else to go for a few hours. Harry Potter is an easy choice for that kind of escape, with its familiar world, friendships, little moments of wonder, and the feeling of bei...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1

Watch Something Comforting

When I'm completely worn out, I don't always have the energy for something intense or complicated. Sometimes I just want to put on something that feels familiar and let myself disappear into it for a couple of hours. It could be a movie I've already ...

If you’re having one of those “everything is going wrong and I honestly don’t know what I’m doing” days, watch this. 😂 It’s messy, awkward, hilarious, and sometimes surprisingly emotional, but that’s exactly why it works. It’s about a wonderfully dy...

Little Miss Sunshine

If you’re emotionally drained and don’t have the energy for anything heavy, please put this on. 🥹 It’s one of those movies that is almost impossible to watch without feeling a little softer by the end. It’s funny, wholesome, ridiculously charming, a...

Paddington

Such a lovely movie for when you’re tired of the pressure to constantly have your life together. 🥹 It’s calm, funny, warm, and just genuinely nice to watch. I love the friendship at the centre of it and the reminder that there’s no age or timeline f...

The Intern

This is one I’d especially recommend when you’ve been feeling stuck in your head about your life, the future, or all the things that haven’t happened yet. It’s funny and romantic, but what I love most is how it makes the most ordinary parts of life f...

About Time