10 Ways ChatGPT Can Lighten Your Mental Load
Keep reading this post to learn:
What ChatGPT is and how it works (spoiler: it’s like having a genius BFF on call).
10 creative ways to use ChatGPT to simplify work, life, and everything in between.
How to start using ChatGPT today, even if tech isn’t your thing.
If you’re anything like me, maybe the thought of using ChatGPT feels a little… overwhelming. I get it — I resisted trying it for a long time. I didn’t start using ChatGPT until October 2024, and honestly, it freaked me out at first. Maybe it’s just getting older and feeling more resistant to new tech, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
What changed my mind? A really hard season. In October 2024, my sweet grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and she passed away in November. Those weeks were a whirlwind of hospital visits and fresh grief, which led to my mental energy being drained, and simple tasks felt overwhelming.
But I still had to keep my business running, and that’s when I turned to ChatGPT for help.
I first heard about ChatGPT from my Hustle Sanely BFFs community. A shoutout to Megan, who posted about using it to plan content for her business. Her post finally convinced me to give it a try.
Before we dive into all the ways ChatGPT can help, here’s a quick overview of what it is and how it works.
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot created by OpenAI that uses natural language processing to generate human-like text and code based on prompts.
What it can do:
Answer questions
Solve math problems
Write stories, emails, affirmations, and more
Translate languages
Debug code
How it works: ChatGPT predicts the next word in a sequence using a language model trained on tons of text data.
When it was released: November 2022.
Limitations: It only has data up to 2021, so it can’t provide information on recent events.
I like to think of ChatGPT as a personal assistant. There are free and paid versions, and I use the free one!
10 Ways ChatGPT Can Lighten Your Mental Load
Now that we’re on the same page let’s talk about how ChatGPT can make your life easier. I asked my Instagram followers how they use ChatGPT, and their responses gave me so many ideas! Here are the 10 most popular ways to use ChatGPT (with ideas from my community):
01: Identifying Limiting Beliefs and Writing Affirmations
Writing affirmations was my gateway to ChatGPT. During my grandma’s cancer diagnosis, I didn’t have the energy to come up with meaningful affirmations. I brain-dumped my thoughts into ChatGPT, and it generated a starting point I could tweak. How cool is that?!
Other ideas from the community:
Figuring out your “word of the year” based on your goals
Brain-dumping to uncover limiting beliefs and reframing them
Writing focus goals with aligned affirmations
02: Cleaning Up, Organizing, or Formatting Documents
ChatGPT is a lifesaver for turning messy thoughts into polished text. For example, I used it to write a heartfelt nomination for a nurse after my grandma’s hospital stay.
Community ideas:
Sprucing up job applications and cover letters
Writing product descriptions or real estate listings
Summarizing articles for grad school
Formatting lesson plans, rubrics, and parent letters
03: Generating Content Ideas
If you create content, you know how time-consuming it can be to come up with ideas. Not to mention, it’s just the tip of the iceberg in most people’s content creation process. To save time and energy, make ChatGPT your brainstorming buddy!
Community ideas:
Writing podcast titles, email subject lines, and Instagram captions
Building monthly content calendars
Creating YouTube video ideas based on your niche
04: Meal Planning & Grocery List Making
Need help coming up with meals each week? ChatGPT can simplify meal prep! Whether it’s comfort food, high-protein, or a random craving, give ChatGPT your thoughts, and you’ll have a grocery list in seconds (literally).
Community ideas:
Generating recipes based on what’s in your pantry
Calculating macros for meal plans
Writing grocery lists while you shop
05: Responding to Emails & Texts
Crafting emails and texts can be mentally exhausting, but ChatGPT makes it easier. It can even learn your personality and brand voice to make your responses more conversational!
Community ideas:
Pitching to brands
Creating email templates for work
Writing polite but firm responses
06: Writing Workouts
No more stressing about your workout split, routine, or movement ideas! ChatGPT can plan workouts tailored to your goals and equipment.
Community ideas:
Daily workout plans
Creating full fitness programs
07: Schedule Planning
This is probably one of the coolest parts of ChatGPT for me (surprise, surprise). ChatGPT can help you organize your day and prioritize tasks. Just give it your to-do list, and it can help you set your day up for success.
Community ideas:
Turning audio brain dumps into to-do lists
Creating cleaning schedules
Organizing project timelines
08: Goal Setting
Do you have a goal but are unsure where to start? ChatGPT is great for turning big goals into actionable plans.
Community ideas:
Translating yearly goals into daily habits
Creating “day-in-the-life” schedules based on values and goals
09: Acting as a Life Coach or Sounding Board
Need some advice, support, or feedback? Think of ChatGPT as a judgment-free brainstorming partner.
Community ideas:
Making decisions by comparing options
Summarizing information quickly
Asking for book recommendations
10: Planning Events, Trips, & Gifts
My bestie and I take a trip to a different city in the U.S. each year. Being girls, we want to visit every cute coffee shop and landmark, but it can feel overwhelming to put together an itinerary. You better believe I’m going to use ChatGPT to save time when planning our next one!
Community ideas:
Creating detailed travel itineraries
Finding local events for newsletters
Generating gift ideas for any budget
I hope these ideas inspire you to try ChatGPT! It’s not about replacing your creativity but giving your brain some breathing room when life feels overwhelming. If this post helped you in any way, I’d be so grateful if you shared it on your Instagram story and tagged me @jessmassey and @hustlesanely so we can spread the message of Hustle Sanely together!
READY TO DITCH OVERWHELM FOR GOOD & START LIVING A PEACEFULLY PRODUCTIVE LIFE?
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