I Tried the "Save the Day" Trend to Make Me Feel Something Again

I'll be the first to admit I'm not into TikTok trends. The mere suggestion of taking a shot of bone broth seconds after waking up is enough for me to swear off popular TikTok advice entirely. Plus, who has the energy to do a "5-9 before 9-5?" My day is already filled with so many work assignments that I wouldn't even have the time to do these trends, let alone shoot and edit a viral video about them.

For these reasons, I decided a long time ago to ignore and scroll past these infamous TikTok trends. That was, at least, until I learned about the "save the day" trend on TikTok.

One day while scrolling through my FYP, I saw this viral video of a content creator talking about how she "saves the day." She said that if she spends the whole day working, she does one thing that "reclaims the day as her own" — like calling her mom or trying a new recipe.

For me, it didn't feel impossible to try, plus it seemed like it could reshape my outlook on dull week days. Could saving the day be the key to actually finding a work-life balance?

Saving the day is committing to do one activity, every day, solely for yourself. It's a way to help you reclaim the day after finishing dull, boring tasks that may have come from work or other responsibilities. Trina Merz started this challenge with friends to make their days more rewarding after long work hours. The viral video has since evolved into a way for anyone to take back their day, whether working a corporate job, being a stay-at-home parent, or attending school.

Saving the day encourages people to carve out moments of personal peace and joy, turning ordinary evenings into special, restorative experiences. Any activity is game here, as long as it allows you to find joy or rejuvenate after even the busiest days. Some examples: surfing, going on a hot girl walk, visiting an old friend, and trying a new restaurant.

Incorporating simple yet meaningful rituals into daily routines can reclaim your time and bring a sense of calm and satisfaction to your daily life. Plus, it's a chance to treat yourself to a well-deserved moment of tranquility.

As the ultimate TikTok skeptic, I knew I had to try saving the day, so I did during the busiest time of my work week: Monday through Thursday. After work on these days, I usually find myself bed rotting, but I felt influenced to change my routine.

On Monday, I decided to start by leveling up my workout routine. Typically, I'll run to Taylor Swift's "Reputation" album, but this has become so routine that the miles feel as repetitive as my work days. So, I intentionally chose a workout class I could look forward to — something that felt as new as the week ahead.

In doing so, I took my first barre studio group fitness class. It was, to put it rather poetically, hard as hell. During the mat pilates portion, I overheard the girl beside me say, "Taking this class is masochistic." My legs and abs agreed.

However, the euphoria I felt after the class was unlike anything I've felt in a long, long time. Maybe it had to do with the sun setting as I walked outside the class, the triumph I felt for trying something new, or the fact that I couldn't look at my work email for a whole hour while in the studio. Whatever it was, I'd finished my first day of saving the day and was excited for more.

After moving my body, I decided I would save the day on Tuesday by keeping my mind busy from work. Since a lot of my job involves reading and writing, I often don't get enough time to read and write for leisure. So, I took my book outside ("The Rachel Incident" by Caroline O'Donoghue, highly recommend) and read it. I let the sun touch my face and let myself be consumed by the plot.

Then, I decided to write a little, like how I used to as a kid. I felt connected to who I used to be when I pulled up a chair in the family computer room, opened Word, and wrote an original story in 18-point font. It's the most in tune I've felt with my childhood since I was 11, and it felt great.

By Wednesday, I knew I wanted to carve out time for another thing that connected me to my girlhood: calling my childhood best friend, Sarah. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok before bed, I dialed her number. There was no big news or huge gossip about someone from our hometown; we simply caught up, just like we did when we were young with no particular reason for the call. By the end of the conversation, I realized my heart felt full in a way that no amount of scrolling through social media feeds could ever hope to replicate.

After figuratively feeding my soul, I decided to nourish myself with a home-cooked meal on Thursday. I was craving some cacio e pepe and an Aperol spritz. I mixed champagne and Campari with a slice of orange, sipping slowly as I tossed bucatini in my pan. I did this methodically and without interruptions, ensuring I was completely present.

I texted my best friend a photo of the finished product with the caption, "Three words: saved the day!" as she knew about this experiment. She wrote back: "Three words: save me some."

After saving the day throughout the work week, I discovered the magic of not letting the work day consume me. There's something unexpectedly powerful about diving into hobbies that makes me feel genuinely myself and incredibly energized. It turns out this feeling was addictive, and definitely something worth sticking to.

Ever since saving the day, I've come to appreciate the transformative power of small, intentional actions that help me reclaim my time and reshape my outlook on work-life balance. What started as a skeptical exploration of a TikTok trend has evolved into a profound realization of the importance of prioritizing moments of joy and self-care.

Unlike those baseless health hacks or other get-rich-quick schemes I would scroll past on the Internet, I can wholeheartedly say that saving the day is worth trying. Maybe I'm a TikTok-trend believer, after all.

Morgan Sullivan is a Philadelphia-based freelance writer covering everything from health and relationships to fashion and beauty. Her work can also be seen in The Cut, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and more.