James' World 2

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A chill on our skin tells us that fall is in the air. Our noses let us know someone nearby is baking bread — or that it’s trash day. The sounds of songbirds, emergency sirens, or music playing in a passing car stir emotions. Our eyes show us that leaves are changing color. And our taste buds determine if it’s pumpkin-spice season or the soup needs a tad more salt.

Our senses provide endless information, yet unless we’re paying attention, their input can be easy to overlook. We get used to certain sounds, sights, and smells to the point that we no longer actively experience them. People who’ve ever lived near train tracks, a freeway, or an airport may know that best once they no longer notice the sound of trains chugging along, traffic whizzing by, or planes overhead.

Intentionally tuning in to our sensory perceptions can have big benefits for well-being. Senses bring us into the present moment when anxiety or panic strikes. Paying attention to what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste can bring us deeper into the present moment, evoke meaningful memories, and help us connect with other people in the world.

The popular 5-4-3-2-1 technique grounds us in the now by asking us to notice five things we can see in our immediate environment, four things we can touch (such as the ground beneath our feet or clothing against our skin), three things we can hear, two things we can smell, and one thing we can taste (even just the inside of the mouth counts). This exercise takes us away from our spiraling thoughts and instantly puts us into what’s happening in the moment.

“It’s very easy to get stuck in our heads, so we don’t notice the beauty that’s around us,” says Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World. “We start to feel like our experiences are drained and flat because we’re getting information through screens, or it feels hyper-processed because we’re eating foods that hit every bliss point in a way that’s not natural. Tuning in to our five senses makes us feel that connection.”Individually exploring the senses can be a great source of delight and personal discovery, according to Rubin. We learn about ourselves and what we really like and don’t like when we tune in to what our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin are telling us.

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Cas Marotta

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