As John Gardner describes it in the 1981 Bond novel License Renewed, “First under a scalding spray, and then with ice-cold water that cut into him like needles.” Here’s the thing: This affectation is good for you.

In all the books, even the books that were written after Ian Fleming’s passing, when 007 takes a shower, he begins by making the water very hot but then switches to ice cold to finish it off. Icon and Image/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Single-tasking is the order of the day: devoting our full thoughts and feelings to one thing at a time.” Adopt The James Bond Shower Much misunderstood, mindfulness merely means staying in the present moment as much as possible, rather than rushing around. “We could all do with being a bit more mindful from time to time. “What if, instead of slapping on a pre-tied bow tie, we took the time to knot a real one?” Lowbridge-Ellis continues.

In his Bond scholarship, Lowbridge-Ellis looks at LGBTQ themes in the work of Ian Fleming, but also, always has an eye for the slow and deliberate details of Bond’s routines. Lowbridge-Ellis is a podcaster and Bond expert who runs the excellent publication and podcast Licence to Queer. “Can tying a bow tie save your life?” David Lowbridge-Ellis asks Fatherly. Ian Fleming was fully aware that he had made James Bond a creature of habit, which might not make you a good secret agent, but doing the things you like, with precision, can make you happy. He’s fussy about what he eats and drinks not because he’s a rich guy, but because being specific and doing one thing at a time makes him feel good and keeps his head clear.

In the books, James Bond usually just wants to have eggs for breakfast and black coffee. These are the hallmarks of wealth and luxury, right? One of the most soothing things about reading a James Bond novel - from the Ian Fleming classics to the John Gardner books, to Kim Sherwood’s recent entries - is experiencing the quotidian process of James Bond doing stuff. Sunset Boulevard/Corbis Historical/Getty Images James Bond is taking his time with this phone call.

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