Healthy Hoopie Habits - Day 20: Read Instead of Scroll
You’ve probably heard the advice a million times: Don’t sleep with your phone next to your bed. But I’ll be honest—I used to think I couldn’t do it either.
The Before Version
For the longest time, my phone lived on my nightstand. Right beside a stack of books I was meaning to read. I wanted to read before bed. I’d tell myself, “Just a quick scroll, then I’ll read.” Or I’d get a few pages in, think of something to check—Instagram, a text, the weather, a random thought—and suddenly I’d be sucked in for way too long.
Then I’d look at the clock and realize: I’d barely read at all.
Most nights, I’m in bed at 8 and lights out by 9, which means that pre-sleep hour is my only reading window. And I was wasting it with aimless scrolling. Not only was I reading less, but I was also winding down with blue light and noise instead of peace and stillness.
The Shift That Changed Everything
So, I did the thing I said I’d never do: I started charging my phone in the living room.
And I’ll be real with you—it felt kind of weird at first. Like, what if someone calls? What if there’s an emergency? What if I miss something?
But I didn’t realize the stillness I was missing until I started this habit.
Now, when we finish up any evening screen time, I leave my phone in the living room, plug it in, and head into the bedroom without it. And because I’m not quite ready to fall asleep, I naturally reach for my book.
The Payoff
Since starting this habit, I’ve read so much more. I’m flying through books in a way I haven’t in years. Even when we went home for vacation recently, the habit stuck. I still charged my phone in the living room. It wasn’t even a decision—it was just how I do things now.
This habit has given me:
A deeper wind-down routine
Better sleep
More peace before bed
A rekindled love for reading
A sense of control over how my day ends
It has been one of the easiest, most rewarding changes I’ve made in a long time!
Healthy Hoopie Habit #17 is a simple one: read before bed instead of scrolling. Try it for a week. You might just sleep better, read more, and feel more like yourself again.
Because every decision you make is an investment in your future self.
And this one? It’s a good one.
