We live in a fast-paced world, and sometimes we don’t even notice what it’s doing to us. We forget to eat, we forget to rest, and we keep working even when our bodies are clearly overwhelmed.
Many of the people I know are intelligent, caring, and capable. They’re not lazy, and they’re not unmotivated. They’re simply burnt out. Often, they don’t realize it until stress turns into illness, pain, or emotional exhaustion. I’ve been there too.
When “just relax” doesn’t work
One thing I learned from experience is this: telling someone (or yourself) to “relax” almost never helps. It often does the opposite. It creates guilt and adds pressure.
When you’re already stressed, being told to calm down feels like another task you’re failing. That realization led me to wonder whether relaxation always needs to start with fixing ourselves. What if it could start with caring for something else instead?
A digital zombie that mirrors stress
That question led me to create a small experiment: a digital zombie buddy that lives on your screen. He’s intentionally imperfect. He gets tired, works too hard, eats snacks, and sometimes even vomits when life gets overwhelming.
If you ignore him, the floor slowly gets messier. If you take care of him: pat him, feed him, clean him, he gradually calms down. And here’s the best part: while you’re taking care of the zombie, you often end up slowing down too.
There are no instructions, no productivity metrics, and no pressure to improve. It’s simply about presence. You might think of it as another kind of Tamagotchi, but one designed for adults who are exhausted.
Why a zombie?
I chose a zombie very intentionally. Zombies are already exhausted, already broken, already “not fine.” They don’t pretend to be productive or optimized, and that makes them strangely safe.
There’s no expectation to fix him and no pressure to perform self-care “correctly.” You just coexist. Sometimes, that’s all the nervous system needs.
Who needs a timer?
Some people relax best with complete freedom. Others feel calmer when time has a soft boundary.
The Pomodoro technique is a simple time-boxing method where you work for a short, defined period, traditionally 25 minutes and then stop. It’s less about productivity and more about preventing work from taking over everything else.
For those who want that kind of structure, the zombie buddy includes a simple 25-minute Pomodoro-style work mode. The zombie works alongside you, then stops — reminding you that effort can end without guilt.
Use it when it helps. Ignore it when it doesn’t.
A continuation of an earlier experiment
This zombie buddy didn’t come out of nowhere. Before this, I created Rexy, a website that offers free resources to gently remind people to pause, breathe, self-examine, and seek help during overwhelming moments.
Both ideas come from the same place: personal experience, and watching people around me quietly burn out while trying their best. They’re different forms of the same question: how can we notice stress earlier, and how can technology support care instead of pressure?
What I’m really exploring
This project is part of a longer exploration into burnout and chronic stress, human-centered technology, playful digital companions, and care that doesn’t demand self-improvement. I’m interested in how small, imperfect interactions can support regulation, not by optimizing humans, but by giving them space.
This zombie buddy is not a solution. It’s an invitation.
Meet your Zombie Buddy now
If you decide to try the zombie buddy, you can keep it open while you work. Let him exist. Ignore him if you need to. Care for him if you feel like it. There’s no correct way to use it.
If all it does is help you pause for a few seconds and notice your own state, that’s already enough.
