Honestly, we did the same thing with season two last year. Took a sick day on a Monday and just powered through the whole thing. The episode where they do the friends and family service had me so stressed I had to pause it and walk around my apartment.

You mentioned clear rules about the fifth day are key. What specific rules did you actually set? Like, were client emergencies allowed, or was it a total blackout day? I'm trying to picture how that works in practice without just shifting the work to a different day.

Did it sound as bad as my last cast iron pan cracking?

My cousin's kimchi exploded all over her new white cabinets last month.

Totally agree about the ritual being part of it. I got a super automatic machine as a gift and the coffee tasted flat, like it was missing the point. Now I'm back to grinding the beans by hand in the morning. That little bit of work makes the whole cup taste better, lol.