I approach it like this. As you go through the next week, try and see if you can identify something that you do every day, almost like a habit, and think if automation could remove that task from your life. A few of my favorite examples:
1. Checking front/backdoor is locked every single night, now I have an automation that turns on the front hall light and sends my phone a notification that the door is unlocked.
2. The "did I close the garage thoughts", just being able to check your phone from the airport or wherever you are and see "yep its closed" is "nice" but not necessary of course
3. Everytime I open the garage door, the light turns on with a timer and some logic so that I never touch that light switch
4. auto turn off air purifier in bedroom in the morning (and on at night too)
5. Anytime the doorbell rings and I am not home, I get a phone notification with a picture of who is at the door. Helpful when worried about missing packages, deliveries, etc. Doesn't necessarily "help" solve the problem, but does do something mentally
6. Recently I added one that nudges the volume on the tv up a few clicks and down a few clicks based on the HVAC turning on/off, it was something I found myself doing habitually and now that it works it is extremely seamless and has been great
I have way more complicated scenarios of course, all of which I find compelling, but I really like the automations where you dont know they are doing something necessarily, your brain just forgets they are even automations.
1. Checking front/backdoor is locked every single night, now I have an automation that turns on the front hall light and sends my phone a notification that the door is unlocked.
2. The "did I close the garage thoughts", just being able to check your phone from the airport or wherever you are and see "yep its closed" is "nice" but not necessary of course
3. Everytime I open the garage door, the light turns on with a timer and some logic so that I never touch that light switch
4. auto turn off air purifier in bedroom in the morning (and on at night too)
5. Anytime the doorbell rings and I am not home, I get a phone notification with a picture of who is at the door. Helpful when worried about missing packages, deliveries, etc. Doesn't necessarily "help" solve the problem, but does do something mentally
6. Recently I added one that nudges the volume on the tv up a few clicks and down a few clicks based on the HVAC turning on/off, it was something I found myself doing habitually and now that it works it is extremely seamless and has been great
I have way more complicated scenarios of course, all of which I find compelling, but I really like the automations where you dont know they are doing something necessarily, your brain just forgets they are even automations.