Five slow mornings, tried and rated

We tried starting five mornings this month with no phone for the first hour. Two felt impossible, one changed everything, and we are telling you exactly which one.

The one that worked was embarrassingly simple: kettle on before anything else, phone stays in the other room until the tea is gone. Fifteen minutes, most days. Two of us tried journaling instead and gave up by Wednesday, which is also useful information.

A reader asked

"What do you do on the mornings it doesn't work?" Honestly? We make coffee like normal and try again tomorrow. That is kind of the whole point.