In these strange, uncertain and unsettling days, we find ourselves in challenging times. The importance and benefits of ritual and grounding routines should not be underestimated.
The beguiling call of the Mighty Screens (aka phones, tablets, TV – aka Dopamine Machines) can be overpowering and hard to resist – especially when we may seek and need comfort and soothing distraction from the very real irks and distress of our personal lives and the painful, traumatic stories of pain unfolding in front of our social-news media saturated eyes.
I’ve been working hard this year to implement and retain some buffers at the beginning and end of my day which doesn’t involve those Mighty Screens (in my case, my mobile phone).
The buffer consists of:
- a book
- a hot drink
- silence
Not exactly ground-breaking. But, boy, are these a nurturing antidote to the day’s frenzy, and a calm way to start and end the day.
Beginning of the day
On waking up, my morning usually consists of around 30 minutes of no phones (and minimal talking except saying good morning and few warm words to my husband and kitcat). After brushing my teeth and drinking some water, I go downstairs and make a coffee. Whilst it’s brewing I step or stick my head out in the garden to breathe in some fresh air (and place my feet on the lawn if it’s not too cold). I then sit in the armchair in our living room and read some pages of whatever non-fiction book I happen to be making my way through.
I have learned that I am better at reading non-fiction earlier in the day. My brain is usually too tired to process it properly in the evenings. The non-fiction I am drawn towards also tends to be ‘heavier’ and more thought-provoking – so it is easier for me to read when my brain is rested and I am feeling more alert. Case in point, right now I am making my way through Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliviera. This is a great book which I recommend, but it’s also challenging and very thought-provoking. Not a book for the faint of heart!
End of the Day
Without furnishing you with all the mundane details of my bedtime routine, what’s different from the beginning of the day is that the hot drink and book don’t occur together. I will usually enjoy a hot drink (water, or perhaps a herbal tea) just before getting ready for bed. However this is usually accompanied by some relaxing music, a call with family/friends, or a very good TV show.
Once my bedtime routine is complete I usually read in bed for 20-30 minutes. It’s at this stage in the day that I usually read fiction books. I avoid anything too heavy, dense, or dark. But I love a good story!
I am pleased to have re-established this habit, and reconnect with my enjoyment of reading fiction.
I am not an especially fast reader, although I am quietly chuffed with myself for having read 4.5 fiction books and one autobiographical nature book in the evenings, since January 2025. And in terms of non-fiction, I have slowly ploughed through almost 5 books. So as we almost reach the halfway point of the year I have read nearly 10 books. In recent times I’d have been lucky to have read that amount in a whole year. So the routine is paying off, in multiple ways, including:
- Calmer, more grounded starts and ends to my day
- Less attachment to my phone
- I am learning more
- Getting to know different authors
- Exercising my imagination before going to sleep
I wonder whether this post may inspire some of my lovely readers to introduce or develop a practice which helps to ground and focus you in your day, especially if you’re feeling discombobulated or somewhat overwhelmed by personal, familial, local or global concerns. Perhaps a couple of you may choose to start to spending more time reading, or doing something else you love but have been neglecting/forgetting about for whatever reason. Or/and a few of you may be reminded to relax your grip on your mobile dopamine machine, or whatever it is which sucks your attention and time away from pursuits which may otherwise lead you to enjoy a richer, more interesting life.
Abigail Hopewell 
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