I struggle with insomnia a lot. And keeping a work-life balance. As the latter slides, so too does the former. But even when I’m managing some semblance of a work-life balance, I still find my brain very noisy at times and it just won’t shut up. Especially in the evening when I am trying to get to sleep. Or at 3am when I wake up and can’t get back to sleep.

I used to read voraciously. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that my reading has reduced during times of high stress and exhaustion. But I’m slowly clawing my way back and trying to find a better balance in all things. And with this I’m also slowly starting to see an increase in my reading.

I picked up Book 6 in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series this weekend. I actually picked it up and started reading it in June 2020 (after I started rereading the series in late 2019). Maybe it’s not a surprise that I put it down just as my work hours started to get horrendous. I struggled to stay interested in the book. I haven’t had that problem since I picked it up again. In fact, I would have happily stayed in bed reading half the day on Sunday. So I have decided it will be my evening book. The one I read for an hour each night to help me go to sleep.

Which brings me to the title of this blog post. It’s been so easy to scroll through my Facebook groups and message friends late into the evening. Instead I’m going to start disconnecting from the online world at 8pm every night and spend some quality time curled up in bed with a good book. Reconnecting with my first love – the written word.

I’m also trying some disconnecting on the way to work and have picked out The Salt Path as my daily commute book this month. Just 10-15 mins each way on the train.

Let’s see if I start to notice a difference in my insomnia with this new habit I’m trying to form. Or rather, an old habit I’m trying to reintroduce.