estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Hello everyone,

It’s been about a month since my message - I write to you now while I watch Nosferatu (2024) in bed. I don’t know about y’all but August was not a great month in the overall 2025 arc - I preferred the early summer, when I was freshly off my comp exams and a little happier. But thankfully, summer wanes and fall approaches - and so does my last year of school as a student. Ever.

One of the reasons August sucked so bad for me was the weather. I came back to Eugene, right as a horrendous heat wave made its way over. And Oregon (bless this state) does not really get with air conditioning the way Texas does. Temperatures peaked at around 95 degrees in my apartment. So you can imagine the crash outs I was having, and the sleepless nights as I desperately tried to stay cool. And as much as I try not to spend time online, I do see the occasional short form video of “nighttime routines” that promote overconsumption and overconsumerism to a concerning degree. But…I will not deny…they do provide some good ideas.

So let me walk you through my evenings. Whenever I finish work for the day (whether it’s practicing, writing, or chores), I go into my bedroom and turn on my projector, Apple TV, and small bluetooth speaker, in that order. While those devices boot up, I get my little water tumbler and fill it with water from the fridge, and a couple of ice cubes. Depending on the mood, I’ll decide whether I want to read a book, or watch a movie, or watch some ASMR to fall asleep right away.

If I’m in a book reading mood, I’ll set a timer on my phone for 30 minutes (with the focus friend app) and just read. I find that 30 minutes is the right amount of time for me to unglue myself from the screen, and focus on the story. Once the timer goes off, I take a break, set another timer, and just read in half hour increments until I’m tired. I keep the projector on and play music from whatever YouTube playlists I have, or my own classical music playlists that fit the energy of what I’m reading. I’ve been reading the Red Rising trilogy recently, which has satisfied both my nostalgia for the days when I read the Percy Jackson and Hunger Games series, while giving me something new to chew on. Because I start reading in the dark though, I don’t want to turn on the light so I ended up buying a little clip-on book lamp, and I have a book clip that helps keep the pages in place. Are these tools required for reading? No. But do they make reading more enjoyable? Yes, enormously.

Mood lighting is also a MUST. I’ve been in this apartment for 2 years now, so I’ve really maximized the lighting in my bedroom as to avoid that horrendous overhead bulb. My combination so far are an RGB neon strip (with smart light capabilities). I have it set so that it turns on automatically at sunset, and turns off 2 hours post-sunset. Sometimes I may turn it off earlier, but it provides a nice atmosphere while I read.

If I’m in a movie watching mood, after I turn the projector on I’ll go get some snacks to go with my water. My go-to snacks are: fruits (usually blueberries or raspberries), popcorn with olive oil and nutritional yeast, or if I’m feeling extra indulgent, some ice cream or candy. I like options, you know? But the water is a non-negotiable. But I also take breaks to clean up, brush my teeth…make sure all my needs are in order. Once I’m done watching whatever it is I’m watching, I turn everything off and sleep comes easier to me.

I made a helpful infographic for you guys if you’re more of a visual learner.

Sometimes I will do late-night phone calls, FaceTimes, chats, etc. but I try not to do that every night because again, I don’t want to be glued to my phone until way late. But it really does take me hours to unwind from the day, and small things like ice water and a nice scent temporarily fix the burdens of living (lmao).

If you have tips for a better daytime routine, let me know because I’m still workshopping that.

Best,

Helen

I made 2 bingo sheets of soups and stews in anticipation of soup season coming around. You can play this several ways if you’d like: