“Why can't people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?”― David Baldacci, The Camel Club

 

I generally am an on the go reader. I squeeze in a page or even a paragraph whenever I am waiting for something or someone. The quiet habits that prepare me to read when I find the 10+ minute bursts of reading time are not lengthy or overly complicated but I find that when done routinely they help set the tone as much as a nightly routine would. 

First and foremost, as I am easily distracted, I make sure my absolute priorities are completed. If I need to call the school, if I need to do some work for a client, or even the most mundane tasks will suck the peace out of me and inadvertently distract me with a constant mental gnawing to get up and do the task first.

Next, I make myself some herbal tea. Just the simple task of turning on the kettle sends a message to me that I'm about to finally sit down and rest a bit which brings such a simple joy. 

Then, I put all distractions, including the phone, laptop etc in another room. This is probably the most important step even though my app notifications are all off anyway. Our relationship with our phones is one I'd love to delve into deeper some other time for sure but suffice to say that most of us are not immune to it anymore. 

After the phone has been put away and my tea is steaming next to me, I set my blanket for comfort and simply begin. 

Sometimes, I turn on a timer if I am aware of time constraints or I know that I still need to address many other tasks and I will need the reminder. Tuning to soft classical music or jazz for reading music is another step, if the day has been considerably stressful or noisy. 

Do you have any quiet habits? What do you do to wind down? 

 

Wishing you a lovely day, 

 

Loba