Daily Prompt: The Joy of Reading Before Bed

Daily writing prompt

Describe one habit that brings you joy.

Every night, before I turn out the lights, I settle in with a book—and almost always, a hot cup of tea or cocoa beside me. It doesn’t matter if I read a single page or get swept away for an hour—this nightly ritual has become one of my greatest sources of joy.

There’s something comforting about ending the day with a story. All day, my mind is pulled in a hundred directions—emails, errands, notifications, and the quiet hum of responsibility that never seems to stop. But the moment I open a book, the world softens. The weight of the day slips off my shoulders, and I’m no longer thinking about the meeting I have tomorrow or the laundry I forgot to fold. Instead, I’m wandering through the cobblestone streets of a faraway city, unraveling a mystery, or sitting quietly in someone else’s kitchen, sharing their life for a while.

The hot drink beside me makes this ritual even sweeter. Sometimes it’s chamomile tea, soft and floral, the kind that seems to whisper that it’s time to rest. Other nights, it’s cocoa, rich and velvety, with steam curling up into the lamplight. There’s a simple pleasure in wrapping my hands around a warm mug, feeling the heat soak into my fingers as I turn the pages. It slows me down. It makes me savor the moment.

What I love most is that this habit feels like a gift I give myself, every single night. It doesn’t ask for much—just a little time, a little stillness—but it gives back so much more. It’s peace, it’s escape, it’s the quiet kind of happiness that comes from creating a pocket of calm in a busy life.

Some nights I barely make it through a paragraph before my eyelids grow heavy, the book slipping in my hands, the tea cooling beside me. Other nights I read until the clock creeps far later than I intended, caught up in a chapter I couldn’t bear to leave. Either way, I always close the book feeling a little lighter, a little more at ease, as though the story and the warmth from my cup have both worked some small kind of magic.

This nightly ritual isn’t just about reading, or tea, or winding down—it’s about carving out joy in the quietest, simplest way. It’s my reminder that the best habits don’t have to be grand or complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is a good book, a warm drink, and the promise of another page tomorrow.