Following Winston Churchill’s routine for a day
Slumped on my study at zero hours, struggling to finish what remained in the bottle of whisky I had been consuming all day, drunkard me came across all British. Not because I was intoxicated — this does evoke a weird feeling of patriotism — but because I had just gone a full day emulating one of history’s greatest statesmen. Some of you may be reading this thinking, ‘so what?’ Winston Churchill lived a lavish lifestyle, smoking as many as ten cigars a day. He also had a team of servants in Chartwell, his countryside home in Kent.
On the face of it, it is hard to see how Winston’s indulgent customs have any resonance — or relevance — to today’s world, especially during the coronavirus crisis. But there is more to Churchill’s well documented routine — which he established around the 1930s — than metrics of Johnnie Walker and Pol Roger.
Richard Langworth, a biographer of the former PM, told me that Churchill’s work ethic — built through his rigid routine — was key to his successes. “It certainly was critical in his output. It made a huge difference.” He added that Churchill’s schedule was made even more remarkable by the fact that he would adjust his schedule so that he could travel hundreds of miles to speak at gatherings, sometimes in front of thousands of people.
7.30 — Wake up, remain in bed, eat breakfast, read newspapers, work, glass of whiskey and soda.
11:00 — Out of bed, stroll around garden supervising estate, whiskey and soda.
13:00 — Multi-course lunch, imperial pint of Champagne.
15:30 — Work from study, glass of cognac.
17:00 — Hour and a half nap/siesta, a habit acquired during his time in Cuba.
18:30 — Wake up, bath, dress for dinner.
20:00 — Lengthly dinner with guests, imperial pint of Champagne.
00:00 — Work in study, more cognac.
01:00–03:00 — Bedtime.
I wanted to find out what — if anything — can be taken from his approach, especially as during lockdown many of us have found it very challenging working from home. I therefore set myself the challenge of sticking to Churchill’s dictatorial routine for 24-hours and realised his routine is not as ridiculous as you think.
Day began in bed. Normally at this time, around 7 am, I would be up preparing myself for the day ahead. But, on this occasion, I am enjoying breakfast in my PJs. Many believe that bed should be reserved for dreaming, not for working as a sort of makeshift office. One such expert, Dr Sophie Bostock, says it is bad for posture and disrupts sleep. However, Langworth notes, Churchill was “highly productive in bed”, often reading all the newspapers and getting work done. I must say though that as a rare occasion, there is no harm in doing this. Focusing in my bedroom offered solitude as the sun beamed through the windows, an oasis far from distractions.
At around 10am, my mother opened the door and chucked the newest edition of The Spectator at me. “Good morning, Winston,” she murmured, unimpressed with the beverage accompanying my poached egg and jam (one of Winston’s favourites). It was a diluted whiskey with sparkling water — or “papa cocktail” mouthwash, as Churchill’s daughter put it. Drinking flooded a sense of foreboding for the rest of the day. On that morning, I gave a class presentation on Scottish independence (how convenient then that I was consuming Scotch). I had told my assessment group what I was doing, who guffawed at my plan. And as I turned on my webinar screen, I noticed that my tutor was bemused at choice of duvet setting. Still, at least from my Zoom window, it looked like I was sipping water.
After class, I made my way to the garden. Churchill would survey his estate for intruders and take a breather. After hours of drudgery, a stroll around my garden — gazing at the sky as blue as hibiscus and listening to the chirps of collared doves — lifted my spirits.
“Boris was condemned for taking naps at No 10. There is no need to feel shamed for indulging in daytime breaks”
Afternoon was a less ideal affair. Firstly, my sister popped by downstairs with a stern look to tell me I was “disgusting”. Now was time for an expansive lunch and a whole bottle of Champagne. Unsurprisingly, the worst pandemic in a century has driven many Britons to drink with retail sales of alcohol up during self-isolation. Never did I expect it would be doing it to emulate my hero. I staggered through my meal and copped my stepsister in awe. “That is so much! How can you even do that?”
Pushed to the edge, I staggered to bed for my siesta — a short afternoon nap Churchill made a habit of his after reporting as a journalist in Cuba. The thinking behind the siesta is explained in an old letter Churchill wrote to his nephew: “Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more.” When Boris Johnson was revealed to be taking naps at No 10, many condemned him for his actions. But there is no need to feel shamed for indulging in daytime breaks. In fact, the Sleep Foundation say that naps can boost short-term alertness as well as ease stress.
After a few hours of kip, I sprung up reenergised. The key is to not to rest for more time than is required, otherwise you will come out groggy. Several units in, it was hard to tell whether I was or not. Nevertheless, I undressed and plunged into a hot bath.
Sadly, I do not have a butler to scrub my backside like Churchill had, but soaking myself is a soothing tub was the perfect antidote to my day, acting as a bubbly cocoon for relaxation. The Harvard Women’s Health Watch says the benefits of baths are more than skin deep. Among its benefits, baths regularly help ease muscle pain, ease certain types of chronic pain and potentially improve heart health. Then there are the mental health effects. It is said that baths were extremely important in aiding Churchill’s wellbeing.
Even though I was now clean and calmed, I felt queasy and started seeing two of everything. It did not help that I still had another pint of bubbly and brandy to go. I digressed, kept calm and carried on and sat downstairs for dinner. No friends or comrades to sit alongside (we are living in a pandemic, Winston!) so I called my friends on the phone where we held conversation virtually all throughout the night. My family, however, started to take note of my inebriated behaviour. “Are you alright?” My mother asked. “Yuh, I’m ph..fine.”
Fearful of further embarrassment, I made my way back upstairs. At this point, Churchill would be on the brandy, but thus came my eventual downfall. It was now midnight, and for Churchill he would have just finished dinner with guests and was now ready to work all through the late night. “He would write past bedtime for most people, often till 3 am. Reinvigorated by his afternoon nap,” said Langworth.
“Churchill would be on the brandy, but thus came my eventual downfall”
Everything I had done to this point had led me to this moment. I was keen to immerse myself in further work, but to no avail. I managed to spill drink all over my cream jumper and write a pitiful 200 words of the article you are reading now. Andrew Roberts, another historian of Churchill’s, told me before I tried this: “I’d set by a day to recover as well as the day of being WSC.” With this in mind, I chose to call it a day knowing the consequences of the next morning.
Solely based on how I was feeling several hours later, I would not recommend Churchill’s routine. But hangovers aside, I came to the conclusion that Churchill’s routine made perfect sense. Sure, I do not advocate alcoholism by any stretch of the matter, but Cole Felix, a PhD student who studied Churchill, says his routine reveals an essential principle for success: knowing how to “get things done”, whatever the setting. “It’s tempting to say that he works hard when he is working and plays hard when he is playing. But that would be to miscategorise the nature of his work.”
As unorthodox as it may be, Churchill’s routine allowed him to achieve a great deal during the latter — and most important years — of his life. We can learn a thing or two from his daily routines amid the stresses of the coronavirus crisis, like taking leisure and relaxation time into consideration, as well as making a routine that you want to follow rather than one you have to follow. Perhaps by looking at a unique — and special — individual like Churchill, a well thorough routine may be the key to help accomplish the goals we strive to achieve (and never surrender).
