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You’ve seen it a million times. On TV. In cartoons. In movies.

Pretty much everywhere, the way meditation is depicted looks like this. A person sitting down, legs crossed, eyes closed. Chanting – ommmmmmmmmmm.

The “Om” chant is the oldest and most common chant. Monks have been using it for thousands – yes, I mean thousands – of years. And while it may seem kind of cliché, people do it for a reason.

It calms us down.

This is scientifically proven. The Om chant has been shown to stimulate the Vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation helps us relax, and is a technique that’s clinically used to treat depression.

But almost more importantly, chanting can make meditation easier. Because it gives you something to do.

So many of us struggle to get started with meditation because sitting still and focusing on the breath can be a real challenge. But chanting – while not as stimulating as, say, watching TV – is an activity to get lost in.

Below I’ll talk about how you can do just that.

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There are a range of meanings for the Om chant – from infinite knowledge to the essence of everything. As you get comfortable with it, you can find your own meaning within the word.

Try This: Find a comfortable position – you can be sitting on the floor, or in a chair, or laying down (as long as you’re not falling asleep). Close your eyes. Lower your gaze. And repeat the word Om, consisting of 3 syllables – A-U-M. And keep going for 5, 10, 15 minutes. Experiment with different times. At a certain point, you may feel like quieting down and just focusing on your breath. Or you might feel like chanting for a full hour. It’s completely up to you. Whatever helps you calm down and get centered is the right way to do it.

Just make sure you’re in a place where you aren’t disturbing anybody else. I don’t want angry emails from roommates trying to get some sleep!

A consistent meditation practice is a huge step toward becoming a more complete self. On this week’s podcast, award-winning journalist and author Olga Khazan spoke to me about feeling stuck with personality traits that don’t serve us, and how we can transform those traits on our quest to become better selves. Drawing from her years of writing and research on this topic, Olga told me about the surprising science proving that we are not chained to the qualities that hold us back. By sharing her own battle to overcome anxiety and self-doubt, Olga illuminates how we can all move toward authenticity and emotional balance.

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

This week’s challenge is simple. I challenge you to do some Om chanting. Reply to this email right now and tell me when and where you’re going to do it. Writing it down will help you stay accountable.

Last week, I challenged you to commit to taking the first steps toward doing your life’s work. I received some powerful responses. 

Reader Nandini said:

Nandini, I love your plan to reduce self-doubt. Others can often support our ideas, but it’s also valid, and sometimes essential, to keep our plans to ourselves so they can incubate and grow without outside influence. 

Reader Leila wrote:

This is a wise, actionable plan, Leila. So often, we schedule our days around our external social world. I love that you are penciling time into your planner to disappear from all that and show up for yourself.