Quick! Is there a Placebo in the house!

I recently read an article on the effectiveness of placebos, even when one knows the treatment in question is a placebo. It has something to do with ritual. The author of the article got a prescription from his doctor for pills to alleviate writer's block. Had them made up &--warned that they may not take effect immediately--had some success with them.

I think perhaps my Oura ring helps me sleep. Knowing that it's on my thumb--the best-sized digit--& ready to monitor heart rate & determine wake-ups & REM sleep & deep sleep gets me tuned in to sleep mode before I even lie down. Or before I lie down to sleep anyway. Frequently I'll read or watch TV or play poker on my tablet (play chips only, but I've got over 20 million...) before I yawn & roll over & put on the eye mask to keep morning from deciding I should be up.

Blog alternative:
318. Think of some issue you just wish you could take a pill for. Then make up a pill. Scrunched up bread perhaps, if gluten doesn't bother you. Figure out a good dose & tell yourself, hey, it can't hurt. Might even be beneficial. After all, it's a placebo!