Twenty-four hours in:
I’m relaxed, and a little more thoughtful, but still have “monkey brain” – thinking of other things while I’m doing or thinking about something. (This is a major reason I still keep a detailed task list, even in retirement – if I can get to my computer and record the thought or the thing that needs to be done, I’m pretty able to put it out of my mind.) I can read, but only for about 30 minutes at a time. Reading thoughtfully (as opposed to reading to get information, which is how I’ve spent the past 42 years) requires that I convince myself that I have nothing else that needs to get done. That’s among the reasons I’m taking these three days / four nights off.
My nocturnal nature has returned with a passion. I recorded some notes in bed, then read for a bit, turned the light out, and went to sleep – for 90 minutes. I put a cloth over the bedside clock, and spent the next eight hours reading, using my computer, sleeping, sketching ideas for paintings, and sleeping – in some inchoate order. I got up at 8:15, but napped repeatedly during the day.
I feel no need for coffee, background music, or alcohol.