I like me best when I feel a little empty.

2026 Day 196. #PersonalDays.

I have trying to find the words to define what calmness feels like.

It really is a state of emptiness. You are void of any emotion or worry, you are not focussing on anything, you can even lose your presence in the physical world. This feeling of calmness that I chase often is available most readily when I declutter my brain.

Instead of creating a calm environment to get started with meditation, I find it to be better to start drowning out the voices in my brain. The voices often tend to focus around conversation around

“Is this good enough?”

“Am I working hard enough?”

“Will this work out?”

“What can possibly go wrong?”

These are the questions that pop up most commonly. If I am able to successfully drown these out, I know I will start feeling a little better.

How do I get rid of them?

There are a few alternatives I try to achieve this

• Assume that you have succeeded. Now you are sharing the story of your success with your friend, and what would you tell them? The same talk will calm your brain down.
• Accept the mistake. Often we think about results that do not have a significant effect on our lives. We are only scared of the possibility of failure. So accept your failure and realise that it has not changed a thing, no need to fear anymore.
• Remind yourself of the insignificant worries of your past self. The times where you dreaded a situation so much but today you it barely crosses your mind. Here you are training your brain to realise that while some situations will be tense, they resolve one way or another. You have moved on from so many worries, and this too shall pass.

The majority of the voices that trouble me are resolved when I apply one of these ideas.

If I still cannot rid the thought from my mind, I try to engage in a completely unrelated activity that lasts a short while — a quick game of chess, a set of push-ups, reading a single chapter, arranging my work-desk and so on.

Once the worries go away it makes things easier to settle down.

Now you move on to making your body feel lighter.

I find it best to do really long breaths in-and-out so that I can feel my lungs expanding and deflating. I can also tighten/loosen my core. Cat-Cows are really great at making your body feel calmer.

Any type of static hold/stretches also helps the body relax. Massage guns, or just using your own hands can be useful in helping your body do away with the stress.

I like myself more in these moments because I feel like I am now in touch with my true self. Anything else is how my body and mind are reacting to the physical and the metaphysical. But all that is left in me is who I am and what my soul represents.

Once you get used to this feeling it feels easier to get into it the next time. A moment of stillness, devoid of emotion and responses, clarity in your mind, patience in your heart, and you are ready to face the world once again.

This feeling lingers on for a while. You might get started on a task and still feel very little. This calmness can get really addictive.

However, sometimes you need to act fast and quick. Pressure can make you perform exceptionally well (at times) and thus always looking for a bit of calm can be disastrous as times. Learn to assess the urgency of the situation and choose an appropriate plan of action.

See you tomorrow.