I left my party lifestyle behind for a week in a nunnery – and began to see the light

‘A prayer schedule was tacked to the back of the door: 5.30am, 8.30am, 9am, 12.15pm, 5.30pm, 6pm and 7.45pm.’ Minster Abbey, Kent. Photograph: Bjanka Kadic/Alamy

For me, a standard day off on a Saturday would consist of an overpriced brunch, mooching around the shops with my friends, bingeing Netflix and eating a large, carb-infused dinner in order to line my stomach for an evening of partying until the early hours.

As a 28-year-old, my life has often revolved around relationships, sex, work, drinking, money, partying and looking good. Even reading the list as I type, I feel guilty and almost embarrassed about my self-indulgence. I’ve always wondered what life would be like without modern-day pleasures and pressures.