ACTIVITY: Default Mode Reset — Rewriting Your Inner Operating System
From The Episode - Sobriety for Skeptics With Arlina Allen
Learning to notice your feelings—without judging or running from them—is a core skill in sobriety and emotional regulation. This week’s exercise gently helps you build that awareness using simple daily check-ins.
Move through each day at your own pace. You don’t have to feel “good.” You don’t have to feel “strong.” You just have to feel something—and pay attention.
1️⃣ Identify Your Defaults
Prompt: When you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or depleted, what is your autopilot behavior?
List 3–5 possible “default mode” reactions:
Overworking / productivity obsession
People-pleasing or caretaking
Resentment or comparison
Emotional numbing (scrolling, isolating, grazing, shopping)
Perfectionism or controlling tendencies
Avoidance / procrastination / “freeze”
Saying yes when your body says no
No judgment — just observation. You’re a scientist collecting data.
