Over glasses of wine and a charcuterie board with cheese, my friends and I fall into the same conversation every other month: Technology is rapidly reshaping our world, and we’re at a loss for how to handle it.

Together, we yearn for a simpler time. We say things like, “I just want everything to slow down.” And, “We weren’t meant to go this fast.” It all boils down to, “I just want more time to do human things.” 

“Technology is rapidly reshaping our world, and we’re at a loss for how to handle it.”

AI is becoming the norm, and the more we’re pushed to interact with robots, the more it can feel overwhelming, awkward, and dystopian. AI’s material impact on the environment is cause for concern, too. Emissions and e-waste are the very real cost of running these systems — even if they might also help contribute to solutions for climate change. However, when we take a step back, we might recognize how the emergence of tech could actually be a chance to engage our humanity on a deeper level.

In offloading busy work to free tools like ChatGPT, the free chatbot tool from OpenAI, we regain energy and time for what truly matters, consistently receiving the opportunity to define exactly what that is. Because as technology becomes more nuanced and the lines between man and machine become harder to draw, we’re forced to define again and again what it means to be uniquely human. 

In an interview with musician Jacob Collier, YouTubers Colin and Samir discuss what AI could mean for artists and their careers. Surprisingly, Collier isn’t worried about how AI could potentially create a song “faster and better” than him one day, but rather, believes embracing it will grant him and others more energy to engage the skills that make us human, namely empathy and connection.

“As technology becomes more nuanced and the lines between man and machine become harder to draw, we’re forced to define again and again what it means to be uniquely human.”

Collier shares, “What happens when ‘spectacular’ becomes ordinary and everything is spectacular and you can be spectacular with ease? […] I would say the parts of the human condition that we’re going to lean into, and that’s going to give us the most connective force in the world are all those […] imperfect things that happen and the things that keep us up at night and the things that turn us on. AI can’t do that stuff for us.”

When we use technology strategically, we can explore how, in our finite lifetimes, we can create more room for our human experience, not less. As Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, writes, “The noblest of human goals wasn’t to become godlike but to be wholeheartedly human instead.” Integrating AI into our daily lives could be the key to letting our foot off the gas pedal, coming back to what really matters to us as humankind, and relaxing into our natural, at-ease pace.

How to use ChatGPT to ease your mind

I’ve compiled ten everyday ways that ChatGPT can give you more time and energy to engage the human things you love. Each section included prompts that you can rework to be applicable to you. I hope you’ll give them a try!

A few things to keep in mind as you explore ChatGPT:

  • Be wary of sharing personal data like passwords or sensitive information, as ChatGPT’s responses are processed over the internet, and full privacy cannot be guaranteed. 
  • Critically evaluate results, conduct your own research, and consult qualified professionals to confirm the information given is the most up-to-date and safe to implement. 
  • Specificity in your prompts to ChatGPT is key. The clearer you are about your desired outcome, the more precise your results will be.

Click here for more tips on how to safely interact with ChatGPT. Now, let’s get started.

1. Meal planning, grocery lists, and recipe ideas

Plug your dietary restrictions, health goals, and grocery budget into the chatbot and ask for help putting together a meal plan, shopping list, or recipe ideas. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for meal planning and grocery shopping on a budget: I need to go grocery shopping. I want this grocery haul to last me two weeks and be enough to feed four people three meals a day with snacks in between. My budget is $350. Could you create a meal plan and grocery list for the next fourteen days with gluten-free, healthy meals that cut down on food waste and will last in freshness?
  • ChatGPT prompt for recipe ideas with limited ingredients on hand: I only have these ingredients: three eggs, a cup of arugula, sweet potatoes, pasta, and celery. Could you give me three recipe ideas that involve all of them?

2. Schedules and to-do lists

Instead of building out your schedule from scratch, give ChatGPT your goals, to-do list items, and priorities. Receive daily, weekly, or monthly schedules, giving you a jumping-off point to managing your workload.

ChatGPT prompt for daily schedules: This is the to-do list I want to tackle today: 

  • I have an appointment today at 3:00 pm
  • I need to do research for a project and complete a rough draft of a proposal, which I anticipate will take about three hours in total
  • Eat lunch
  • Do the dishes
  • Do two loads of laundry
  • Respond to emails and messages

I want to start work at 10 a.m. and be done by 5 p.m. so I can start making dinner and relax. Can you help me plan my day?

3. Interview prep and work conflicts

Role-play important conversations with ChatGPT to think through your responses ahead of time and ask for constructive feedback on how you can improve your answers.

  • ChatGPT prompt for interview prep: Imagine you’re the hiring manager of a creative marketing firm. You’re interviewing me for a data analyst position. Please ask me interview questions one by one that are unique to the marketing industry and the role. Wait for me to respond before moving on to the next question. After I submit my response, please give me ideas on how I can improve.
  • ChatGPT prompt for assistance in handling work conflicts: I just got a passive-aggressive email from my colleague scolding me for missing a deadline that was moved up without my knowledge. I want to handle this without pointing blame or making excuses. What’s an assertive way to respond?

4. Date and hangout ideas

Use ChatGPT as an idea generator for your social calendar. If comfortable, mention the city you’re in so ChatGPT can include local recommendations. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for date ideas: My partner is into photography, anime, breakfast foods, and music. I want to plan a date that will make them happy. Could you give me five unique date ideas?
  • ChatGPT prompt for easy, budget-friendly weekend plans: I’ve been stressed this week and need some fun and relaxation this weekend, but I don’t want to sit around scrolling or watching TV. Could you give me ten ideas that are low-cost and engaging but don’t require too much energy?
  • ChatGPT prompt for hangout ideas: I want to go out with friends this weekend! We love hiking, coffee shops, brunch, art exhibits, and escape rooms. Could you give me a list of ten things happening in my city this weekend that I can suggest to them? Please include the approximate cost of each.

5. Entertainment recommendations

Ask ChatGPT to suggest books, shows, movies, or classes that match your interests based on your current mood or preferences. 

  • ChatGPT prompt to put a stop to endless scrolling: I want to watch a movie that will make me laugh, help me escape, and relax. Could you give me fifteen movie suggestions that will make me feel that way? Please only suggest movies that are currently streaming on Netflix or Apple TV. 
  • ChatGPT prompt to find your next book: I am a big Stephen King fan and want to find authors who write similar books. Could you give me a list of ten recommendations of what I should read next? 
  • ChatGPT prompt to discover a new go-to series: I just finished rewatching The White Lotus. Do you have any series recommendations that are similar in theme?

6. Relationship insight

  • ChatGPT prompt for ask-out ideas: I’m interested in this barista who works at a coffee shop I regularly visit. We have good back and forth, and I think she’s super cool. I want to ask her out, but I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. What’s a smooth, non-creepy way to do it?
  • ChatGPT prompt getaway ideas: My partner and I want to plan a weekend getaway that involves a lot of the things we enjoy doing together, gets us out of town for a while, and has a lot of time for relaxing. We enjoy reading, working on projects, and doing puzzles. Could you suggest ten weekend getaway ideas within a 200-mile radius of Seattle that we could consider together?
  • ChatGPT prompt for conflict resolution help: My partner and I have been having a repetitive fight about how we’ve divided up household duties. His job is more demanding, so he only cooks a few times a week. I feel like I do more than he does and want to adjust our duties. What’s an assertive way to bring this up and possible compromises that make sense for both of us that we can discuss?

7. Gift ideas

Get gift ideas based on the characteristics and interests of your loved ones. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for handmade gift ideas: I want to come up with a great Father’s Day idea for my dad. He’s hardworking, loves gardening, building things, treehouses, and board games. I want to give him something handmade this year. Could you give me five craft ideas with step-by-step instructions that would help me create a gift he’ll love?
  • ChatGPT prompt for purchased gifts: It’s my nephew’s birthday. He’s turning ten. He’s smart, hyper, sweet, and loving. He enjoys reading and playing soccer. Could you give me five gift ideas a ten-year-old would like that are available to purchase online with a $50 limit?

8. Beauty routine suggestions

Streamline your beauty research by plugging your concerns, goals, or preferences into ChatGPT and exploring your routine options. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for skincare routines: I have acne scars and sun damage that I want to work on fading. My current skincare routine is a gentle cleanser morning and night and a retinol every other night. What non-irritating ingredients could I incorporate into my current routine that will be gentle on my sensitive skin? What ingredients should I avoid using at the same time as retinol?
  • ChatGPT prompt for hair care routine insight: I have naturally curly, fine hair. I want to increase the volume while keeping the definition and reducing frizz as much as possible. What haircare products and routines should I try to achieve those goals?

9. Pet advice

Enter your pet’s breed, weight, and personality into ChatGPT to get suggestions on activity recommendations, food brands, and training ideas. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for new pet parents: I’m adopting a two-year-old Labrador this weekend. The shelter says he’s on the hyper side but very loving and enjoys lots of walks. I’ve never had a dog before. Please help me prepare. What supplies should I get? What training should I do? What dog food should I buy, and how much should I feed him and when? 
  • ChatGPT prompt for pet concerns: My cat has been getting ear mites. What are natural remedies, and how can I prevent him from contracting them again? 

10. Money help 

Use ChatGPT to help you create budgets or financial plans based on your income, expenses, money goals, and concerns. 

  • ChatGPT prompt for monthly budgeting help: I want to save $10k by the end of the year. My annual income is $80k. Could you make a monthly budget with basic categories that would help me achieve my savings goal?  
  • ChatGPT prompt for small business cash flow ideas: I make and sell handmade jewelry through an Etsy shop. I have seven products currently listed, and my goal is to make 30 sales per month. Could you give me a marketing game plan I can work with to help me reach that goal? Please cover a content creation plan on Instagram, advertising ideas, and other ways I can promote my products. 

“What ‘human things’ do you long for more time to do?”

Whether you’re an early adopter of new technology or avoid it as much as possible, tools like ChatGPT are undoubtedly changing how our world spins. When emerging tech relieves some of our everyday duties, what’s left in their absence is newfound energy to engage with the things that make us uniquely human — empathy, connection, creativity — all the human things we were meant for.

What “human things” do you long for more time to do? How do you feel about AI becoming a greater part of our daily lives? What other ways have you found ChatGPT to help you in your work and life? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Cheyanne Solis is a copywriter relieving entrepreneurs to rest and invest more in what they love. She writes on practical wellness and mindful productivity from the perspective of sustainable work-life balance. Explore her work and connect here.