Visualize your mood as running in two dimensions. The vertical axis represents your energy level—from low to high. The horizontal axis, meanwhile, goes from very calm on the leftmost extreme to very anxious on the right. In which quadrant do you find yourself right now? How about most of the time? Are you very energetic yet anxious? Calm yet lethargic? Or worse still: lethargic and anxious? Clearly, the preferred state to be in is Calm Energy. This is the ultimate state where you can feel good and at peace with yourself while being most productive and creative. This state is also referred to as "flow" or "being in the zone". Whether you realize it or not, in your day-to-day life, you are constantly trying to push yourself in some direction along this plane. For example, you may drink coffee or tea in the morning to energize yourself. You may eat chocolate, go for a run, or smoke a cigarette when you are stressed. You may use food, alcohol, RedBull, and/or drugs to either calm you or energize you. More ideally, you choose to work out, plays tennis, power nap, write, listen to music, dance, do yoga, meditate, go on vacations, socialize or just breathe deeply as better alternatives to influence your mood.

The first step to developing Calm Energy is to realize that this is the state you should be looking for. The second is to realize that many of the unhealthy tools you may be using to influence your mood, often help you on one dimension but hurt you on the other, and always, without exception, have a rebound effect. Healthy mood management tools are the only way to achieve sustainable calm energy and positive feedback loops instead of unwanted side effects and rebounds.

Experiment with healthy tools and get in the zone! Let your creative potential flourish while feeling your best. If you can, please share with us what works for you.

Note: Calm Tiredness is not necessarily a bad state to be in. In fact, at night, as you are going to bed, it is the state you should want to be in. It is also greatly advised to have a full weekend day of rest to recharge your batteries. It will significantly potentiate your calm energy and relaxed focus the rest of the week.