There is an emotional status quo that comes with modern life that is rarely discussed. This is likely due to the fact that on the surface, nothing is really “wrong” per se. It’s an existential gray area where life isn’t falling apart, but it’s not exactly inspiring either. You’re waking up, doing your routine, tending to responsibilities, checking your emails, checking your boxes. Everything is skipping along, and you’re doing… fine.

But you’re not fine.

You’re not unhappy, but you’re definitely not lit up. You’re far from suffering, but nothing is exciting. There are no breaking points or crises, but there’s nothing happening on the other end of that spectrum either.

It’s all just very… meh.

Welcome to the epidemic of modern living. It’s even reflected in recent headlines describing everything from AI, to the economy, to Gen X:

“Opinion: Why we’re living in a meh economy” – CNN
“How ‘Meh’ AI Could Cost Companies More Than it Saves” – Bloomberg
“Talking ‘Bout Meh Generation” – New York Times

Merriam-Webster defines it as “an expression of indifference or mild disappointment” and synonyms include “boring,” “unimpressive,” and “apathetic.”

Makes you feel “meh” just talking about it. But this is where the seemingly unnoticeable fog of listlessness becomes the wake up call.

Want to know the root source of all the meh? You aren’t growing. You aren’t being challenged. Everything is a little too comfortable, or perhaps mildly uncomfortable but in ways that you’ve grown accustomed to.

If your life has suddenly been reduced to grayscale, it’s time to snap yourself back into technicolor. Here are a few ways to wake up out of the haze:

First, try getting Un-busy. When every moment is filled with scrolling, multitasking, working, responding, consuming, there is no time to sit with ourselves long enough to hear the quiet voice of our soul. Schedule time in your day, even if it’s just 15 minutes to check in with your feelings, read a page of a book that interests you, or even just sip some tea and gaze out your window.

Next, get really curious. And I mean about everything. Get curious about your thoughts and what they’re telling you. Get curious about the people in your life, ask them about their day in a meaningful way and really listen. Research the history of your hometown, learn something about the artist of your current favorite song, if there is something that you’re enjoying, learn about it!

Lastly, do something imperfectly. This can also mean, try something new! Let yourself be messy, let yourself be a beginner. Go rollerskating. Decorate cookies. Sing karaoke. It doesn’t have to be your area of expertise and it’s better if it’s not. Part of getting stuck in “meh” is an aversion to any kind of discomfort—but this also means no joy, either. Step a toe outside your comfort zone with one intention only: to have fun.

Kabbalah teaches that our soul is designed for aliveness. We are meant to feel. Not just the good feelings but the painful ones too. We are meant to experience vibrancy, curiosity, joy, and discomfort because what our souls long for is the change that comes from transformation. Just as the caterpillar longs for the goopy discomfort of her metamorphosis into a butterfly, so too do our souls long to feel the exhilaration of everything life has to offer.

Falling into the comfortable confines of the expected, the good-enoughness, or the predictable might feel like an accomplishment but I assure you it’s not. Without allowing for the low-lows, we also lose out on the highest highs.

You didn’t arrive in this life to get to the end of it and say “yeah, that was fine.” To quote Doctor Who, the longest running science fiction television show, “We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”

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