Field Notes

Morning routines, productivity, wellness habits, dopamine, sunlight, gratitude, affirmations — do viral morning routines actually work?This week I tested 3 viral morning routines from an English woman, an American woman, and an Australian woman to see whether any of them could make me feel more energised, productive, and less like I’m running on fumes.The problem?I’m doing this with:a toddler who wakes up at 4:30ambroken sleepa massive family bedand a deep resistance to bouncing on a Peppa Pig trampoline with coconut oil in my mouthSo this is a very scientific experiment.In this episodemy current chaos-morning routineMel Robbins-style 5-4-3-2-1 habitsoil pulling, electrolytes and gratitudeChinese lymphatic movementsmaking the bed like a functional adultwhether morning routines are modern madness… or actually quite anthropologicalTimestamps (ish)0:00 Intro – today’s experiment1:00 My current morning reality7:00 The American morning routine10:30 The British morning routine17:30 The Australian “hot girl” morning routine25:00 Have We Lost the Plot? Morning routines through an anthropology lensJoin the book clubActually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrialAsk Guru & GrannySend in your dilemmas, chaos, family drama and questionable life choices for Guru & Granny.DM me at:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podComing FridayI’ll report back on which bits of these morning routines actually survived contact with real life.

Luteal phase, PMS, hormone hacks, mood swings — do internet remedies actually work?This week’s field report: I tested some of the internet’s favourite luteal phase advice.That meant eating a suspicious number of carrots and sweet potatoes, attempting to “rebalance” my hormones, and keeping a list of everything that annoyed me during PMS week.Some of the advice helped.Some of it involved heavily salted vegetables and blind optimism.Here’s the honest verdict.Timestamps0:00 Field report: testing internet luteal phase advice1:00 My accidental vegetable discovery2:00 The luteal phase irritation list3:00 The real household tension revealed5:00 Honest thoughts about the podcast and time pressure7:00 A possible PMS supplement experiment8:30 Ongoing trials: hormone hacks & brain headset9:00 Next week: morning routinesExperiments this weekluteal phase awarenessPMS mood trackingsweet potatoes & carrots for hormonesmagnesium & sleep supportComing nextNext week I’ll test morning routines — the topic you actually voted for.Follow alongInstagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podJoin the book clubActually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial

This week dives into the luteal phase (PMS) - what’s actually happening hormonally, why your mood drops, and how to cope without doing a crime.We cover:what the luteal phase actually iswhy you feel more sensitive, irritable, and withdrawnwhether it’s hormones… or your life being out of alignmentpractical ways to support your mood (from Instagram, obviously)and a slightly chaotic Guru & Granny segment involving vegans and king prawns⏱️ TIMESTAMPS (ish)00:00 Intro – why we’re ignoring the poll and talking PMS05:30 What the menstrual cycle actually does to your brain10:30 Why the luteal phase feels like low power mode12:30 Have We Lost the Plot? (evolutionary take)14:00 “You’re not moody, your life is out of alignment”16:00 Luteal phase survival tips (food, magnesium, sleep)19:00 Guru & Granny: vegan boyfriend chaos📩 ASK GURU & GRANNYGot a dilemma?Relationships, family chaos, existential crises…DM your questions to:👉 @rosehoneymorgan👉 @field.notes.pod(You can stay anonymous)📚 JOIN THE BOOK CLUBIf you want deeper dives, experiments & slightly more structure:👉 Join the Actually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial🎧 IF YOU ENJOYED THISFollow the podcast, leave a review, or send this to someone who:becomes a different person before their periodhas ever thought “why is everything suddenly awful?”or needs a luteal phase survival plan

This week I tested 4 anxiety techniques…two from a Harvard-trained life coach and two from Old Ma.The methods:• orgasm (did not happen)• contemplating death (surprisingly helpful)• building a “sanity quilt” (tiny habits that actually regulate you)• visualising your perfect day (emotionally risky)Some worked. Some absolutely did not.Main takeaway:👉 You don’t fix anxiety with one big breakthrough👉 You fix it with small daily things that make life slightly more bearableAlso:• no one is thinking about you as much as you think• you will be forgotten (freeing, not depressing)• and stroking your dog is genuinely medicinalIf you feel constantly slightly on edge, overwhelmed, or like your brain is doing too much…this episode is for you.🧠 What you’ll get:• realistic anxiety coping strategies• small daily habits that actually help• a brutally honest test of popular techniques• a reminder that your life doesn’t need to be perfect to be good⏱️ Chapters00:00 Testing 4 anxiety techniques01:00 Why orgasm didn’t make the list02:00 Thinking about death (and why it helps)04:30 The “life in weeks” reality check05:00 The sanity quilt (best one)08:00 Tiny habits that improve your day10:00 The perfect day exercise (spiral warning)11:30 Final thoughts + what actually worked📲 Follow me on Instagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod🔔 Subscribe for more:Weekly experiments in:• anxiety• self-improvement (without the cringe)• modern life• and trying to function like a normal person

If you live with that constant background hum of anxiety, you’ll understand the feeling of trying everything — therapy, routines, productivity hacks — and still feeling slightly on edge.So today we’re trying something different.This is a Mother’s Day anxiety special, featuring:• two anxiety techniques from my mother (Old Ma)• two techniques from a Harvard-trained life coach• and a conversation that includes orgasms, existential philosophy, and a surprisingly detailed death plan.In other words: a fairly normal episode.The Four Anxiety TechniquesIn this episode we explore four very different ways of dealing with anxiety:1️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #1: orgasm as emotional regulation2️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #2: contemplating death (memento mori)3️⃣ The “Sanity Quilt” method from Martha Beck4️⃣ The Perfect Day exerciseSome of these are more sensible than others.The Sanity QuiltThe Sanity Quilt idea comes from Martha Beck.Imagine a patchwork blanket where each square is a small activity that reliably calms your nervous system.Not big life changes.Just tiny stabilisers you can rely on when things feel overwhelming.Examples might include:• a quick walk outside• dancing to one song in the kitchen• lighting a candle• listening to music• texting a friend• reading a few pages of a book• making a cup of tea• eating a tiny cheeseboard (personal favourite)The idea is to build a toolkit of small things that help you regulate before you spiral.The Perfect Day ExerciseThe Perfect Day exercise asks a different question:Instead of chasing big life goals, what does a good ordinary Tuesday actually look like for you?You imagine a realistic ideal day — from when you wake up to when you go to bed.Not a fantasy billionaire life.Just the kind of day your nervous system would actually enjoy living in.Because life is basically thousands of Tuesdays in a row.Also in this episode• how worrying brains invent problems that never happen• why modern life might be fuelling anxiety• why remembering death can sometimes make life easier• Old Ma’s surprisingly detailed end-of-life planAsk Guru & GrannyIf you want Old Ma and I to attempt to solve your life problems, send us your dilemmas.Relationship chaos, family drama, existential crises — we’ll take it all.DM your questions to:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podYou can remain anonymous if you like.If you enjoyed this episodePlease follow the show, leave a review, or share it with someone who:• worries about things that never happen• enjoys slightly unhinged mother–daughter conversations• or might benefit from a sanity quilt and a small cheeseboard

Earlier this week I began testing the Flow Neuroscience headset — a device that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to stimulate areas of the brain linked to depression.In simpler terms:I’ve started plugging my forehead into a charger.This Friday Field Report is the week one update.I talk through:• What the headset actually feels like to wear• The slightly alarming wet electrode pads situation• Whether the electrical stimulation hurts (spoiler: mildly… but in a “strong skincare” kind of way)• The surprisingly good therapy app that comes with it• Why the behavioural therapy modules are actually better than a lot of therapy I’ve paid for• Whether the experiment is making me feel even slightly more motivatedSo far the results are… inconclusive.But I do feel a bit more like “come on then, let’s be having you.”Which is something.Inside the Flow appOne thing that genuinely impressed me was the built-in therapy courses.The headset isn’t just about the electrical stimulation — the app includes:• behavioural therapy modules• mindfulness and meditation sessions• sleep support• habit-building exercises• diet and lifestyle guidanceAll delivered through a chat-style interactive course, which is surprisingly engaging when you’re struggling to focus.It’s a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure therapy conversation.Find of the WeekThe therapy format inside the Flow app — genuinely useful behavioural therapy exercises delivered in a way that actually keeps you engaged.If I find similar tools that don’t require a brain-electrocuting headset, I’ll link them here. Ok so there's one called Youper but it's not available in the UK annoyingly. Abby - your AI therapist looks good. Or Wysa the app looks good too. Haven't tried any of them though so... just going off the App Store sales pitch!Fail of the WeekI currently have around 200 unanswered messages across email, WhatsApp and DMs.The longer I leave them, the more awkward the replies become.Classic.The experiment continuesI’ll report back again once I’ve used the headset for the full three-week protocol to see whether it actually improves:• mood• motivation• executive function• anxietyOr whether I’ve simply been mildly electrifying my forehead for no reason.Join the conversationIf you’ve tried anything that actually helped your mental health, motivation or executive function — send it my way.DM me on Instagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podJoin the Book ClubWe’re currently reading Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inside the Actually Trying Book Club.Join here:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial

Last week I tested the internet’s favourite anti-doomscrolling trick:turning your phone to gray scale (black and white).The theory is simple: remove the bright colours that hijack your brain’s dopamine system and suddenly your phone becomes far less addictive.Did it cut my screen time in half?Well… not exactly.But it did reveal some interesting things about how our brains react to colour, stimulation, and the endless scroll.In this week’s Field Report we discuss:Whether gray scale actually reduced my screen timeWhy social media becomes weirdly less appealing in black and whiteHow the experiment accidentally pushed me into a ChatGPT rabbit holeWhy real life suddenly looked much more colourful and vividA brief “Have We Lost the Plot?” anthropology segment on humans and colour stimulationThe unexpected downside: trying to play phone games in grayscalePlus:Find of the WeekAppreciating colour again (and the joy of bold interiors)Fail of the WeekSpending another two hours helping June solve a murder in June’s JourneyLinks & Things MentionedJoin the Actually Trying Book Club👉 https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrialLucy’s interiors Instagram👉 https://www.instagram.com/lucycollierinteriorsFollow the ShowFollow the podcast so you don’t miss next week’s experiment.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who is also trying (and occasionally failing) to reduce their screen time.Next WeekNext week’s topic may or may not make brands even more nervous about working with me… but at this point the damage is probably already done.See you then.

If your screen time is creeping up…If your phone feels impossible to put down…If the real world is starting to look a bit dull by comparison…This week I’m testing a free, surprisingly simple method that claims to reduce doomscrolling fast.No apps.No discipline hacks.No expensive “digital detox” retreats.Just one setting change.In this episode we discuss:How color and contrast hijack your dopamine systemWhy overstimulation can make the real world feel flatThe “gray scale” method and how to set it upAnd why I realised I needed to fix this — urgentlyI’m committing to a full week of gray scale to see if it genuinely reduces screen time.If you try it too, let me know what happens.The Instructions To enable grayscale on an iPhone, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, then toggle "Color Filters" on and select "Grayscale"To turn on grayscale on Android, go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Bedtime mode and enable "Grayscale"📲 DM me on Instagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podI’ll report back with the results.⭐ If this episode helps:Follow the show, leave a review, or send it to the friend who says “I don’t go on my phone that much” but somehow knows every trend