Recently I’ve fallen back into my list-kick—where I form a list and strive to achieve everything on it.

This month’s focus is a reading list full of books I’ve been recommended or putting off for a fat minute.

And I have to say, this is the calmest I’ve ever been. Yes, I’m perpetually stressed, but it feels nice to have a way to wind down from the adrenaline high of my daily routine.

I’ve always enjoyed losing myself to a book, whether it’s on my phone or a tangible hardcover copy. It feels like a little reward; I get excited, which helps me garner weird looks from people I know, as if reading and fun can’t be synonymous.

I’m all too quick to make fun of my friends and their traditionally (sometimes inherently) nerdy interests, but I’m no different. I’d rather read a really good book than have a mediocre conversation.

Even when I’m scrolling through my phone, there’s a fifty percent chance that I’m just reading an E-book. 

On top of that, reading other author’s writing often shifts me out of my massive writing block, even if it’s temporary. I always struggle with getting the ball rolling until I inhale media and take a chipped aspect and shape it into something of my own.

I’ve only finished ten books since I’ve made the list (and yes, five of them were the Percy Jackson series), but I already feel a little lighter, falling asleep during a time curated solely for letting go of what sets me off.

The comfort of a list, especially with low stress activities, combats the amount of panic that flows through me every day, and I could not be more grateful for a productive passtime.