This probably won’t come as a surprise, but when I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. I read in the bath, at the dinner table, and in the car. In fact, my family and friends all joke that the reason I’m directionally-challenged now is that I never paid attention to directions in all those formative, pre-driving years. Instead, I had my nose stuck in a book.
Can anybody relate?
But like most people do, as I grew older, I let responsibilities crowd out the simple joy of printed words. I still read, of course, but not always what I would’ve chosen on my own. In high school and college, I got sidetracked by required texts for classes. Then I became a librarian and read practically nothing but children’s and teen literature. After I got married and had my own kids, I was lucky to even get a chance to brush my teeth after running around all day, much less read a book that wasn’t Goodnight Moon.
So, a few years ago, when I started having trouble sleeping, I decided to start reading before bed again. And I found myself creating a routine that I really look forward to every night. If you’re interested in starting up your own reading routine, too, here’s what works for me:
1) Light a candle, or spritz a beautiful scent in the air.
I usually don’t light candles before bed, mostly because I’m afraid I’ll get tired and forget to snuff out the flame, but if you’re in the market, I highly recommend buying something from Frostbeard Studios (this post isn’t sponsored; I’ve just tried their products before and am a fan!). A great choice for the fall season would be “Pumpkin Juice” (perfect for autumn and smelling of pumpkin, vanilla, and cinnamon), or maybe “Reading at the Café”, which smells delightfully of coffee and chocolate pastry.
If you’re not a nighttime candle lighter, maybe try some soothing linen and room spray. Right now, I’m using one with essential oils that smells like feather moss. It’s calming and woodsy and makes me think of starlit nights camping (without the sensation of freezing cold toes!).
2) Turn on some music.
Once you’ve created a nice atmosphere through scent, continue layering with sound. I like classical, usually either piano or guitar, as they seem a bit more mellow, and turn it low, so it’s just a pretty, peripheral note.
3) Use a bookmark.
It’s not essential, and if you’re a real bookworm, you’re probably in the middle of multiple books at one time and can find the page you left off on with a few deft flips. But it will save you a tiny bit of headache to not have to search for long. You also won’t have to worry about mistakenly starting in the wrong spot and missing crucial plot points (something I have definitely done before- I wasted about twenty minutes wondering when the hero lost his leg).
4) Set a timer.
I know, this step is pretty unglamorous. Who wants to stop reading once you get into the groove? So if it’s a Friday or you don’t have to get up early the next day, give yourself permission to blaze through as many chapters as you want and bliss out on the Happily Ever After at 3 in the morning. But on normal nights, a timer will help you set boundaries you’ll be thankful for when tomorrow’s early alarm wakes you at sunrise.
5) Get lost in the world of words.
This one’s self-explanatory 🙂 I’ll let you take it from here.
So, when do you like to read? Anything you find yourself pairing with books? A cup of tea, a good dessert, or some lovely music?
Keep reading,
Shaen
