A closing time turns an endless eating window into a defined one. The distinction between a suggestion (“I try not to eat after 8pm”) and a boundary (“my kitchen closes at 8pm”) matters: suggestions get negotiated away while boundaries get honored. When the kitchen is closed, eating isn’t a decision—it’s not available.
This companion explores why closing time works, setting your time based on dinner and fasting hours, enforcing the closure through cleanup and transition rituals, and what happens after closing. (4 min read)