The Circle of Calm

This week, my husband has been a bundle of nerves. Work stress, long hours, and being on call had him on edge, constantly waiting for the next ping, the next issue, the next demand. His body was home, but his brain never got to power down.

But today, something shifted.

His on-call shift ended, and for his lunch break, he made a choice: he grabbed his putter and headed to a nearby course. No big round, no scorecard, just a quiet practice green and 45 minutes to himself.

What he did was simple: three-foot putts in a circle. Over and over. Step, bend, focus, stroke. Repeat.

It may sound monotonous, but that repetition was the very thing that helped his brain relax. There’s science behind it, repetitive motion can engage the brain’s default mode network, allowing it to reset and recharge. It’s a form of active meditation, where the predictability of the motion gives your mind permission to exhale.

He came home different. Lighter. Quieter. Calm.

He told me, “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

And beyond the mental reset, there’s this: mastery comes through repetition. Three-foot putts seem basic, but they’re the backbone of any good game. Doing them again and again isn’t a waste of time, it’s a quiet kind of discipline. A return to fundamentals.

Now he knows: those 45 minutes matter. They’re not optional. They’re his circle of calm, an anchor in the middle of a stormy workweek.

What are your favorite golf practices and/or exercises to help you get into that zone?