Everything changed last year when I realized I couldn't hear myself. At all. Morning—alarm, breakfast, getting ready, work, meetings, calls; evening—dinner, plans for tomorrow, and then alarm again. I was living on autopilot. And then I realized I hadn't remembered what I was thinking about on my way to work for a month. I was just driving. Like a zombie.

Then I decided to give it a try. Don't get carried away. Just sit and do nothing for five minutes. At first, it was awkward. Hundreds of thoughts. What to cook, what to tell the boss, when to hand in a report. And that's normal. They told me, "Don't fight your thoughts, just observe."

And I started observing. How the clouds float in my head. How I breathe. How tense my shoulders are. And you know, after a week, I felt a difference. I didn't become calmer, no. I became sharper. I started noticing when I'm tired. When I want to scream. When I'm actually hungry, and not just "time to eat."

Now I have a ritual: 10 minutes in the morning, while everyone else is still asleep. I turn on quiet music or just sit by the window. I don't pray, I don't visualize millions. I just breathe and listen to the silence. It's like a reboot for the brain. Like a morning shower, but for the soul.

Yes, I still run errands and stress out about traffic. But I have a core inside. That very feeling that I exist. And whatever happens during the day is just events. And I am me.

Now I can't imagine how I ever lived without those ten minutes. And for me, meditation is not esoteric. It's nervous system hygiene. Like brushing your teeth, but only your head.

Have you tried it? Or do you also think it's not for you? Tell me, I'm genuinely interested.

Alexandra