33 Actionable Ideas to Bring Your Senses Alive
I once had the mother of all colds. Properly miserable and bunged up. The kind of cold that makes you desperately miss your sense of taste… because food tastes entirely bland.
Funny how losing all that makes you appreciate your senses so much more.
Our senses are such a gift.
And we can go days without appreciating them.
One key wellbeing practice is simply becoming aware of your senses. It grounds you in the moment and wakes up your mind to life.
⏱️ So, let’s slow down for a second…
If you closed your eyes right now, what do you sense?
The chatting of people, a ticking clock, your breath, or the sensation of your body against the chair?
Take 10 seconds. Try it.
When you eat your meals today, can you pick out the ingredients? I had a smoked salmon bagel yesterday and noticed the lemon juice with a bit of black pepper.
Awareness keeps us present and in the moment.
We tune into the wonder of the here and now.
According to research, a regular practice of mindfulness (a deeper exercise in awareness) can change the structure of the brain! It can increase the density of grey matter in the hippocampus, aiding learning and memory as well as an increase in self-awareness and compassion.
All from regularly practising awareness.
Can’t stress the importance of taking breaks from your phone and doing things like:
getting outside
smelling the flowers
feeling the sun
listening to the sounds
Remember the last time you heard the sea? It’s so calming.
I hope your senses come alive today.
I wrote up 33 actionable ideas to put this idea into practice on my website. Link in the comments section.
Or drop your example below. What works for you
33 Actionable Ideas to Get Your Senses Active!
Here are 33 actionable ideas to get more awareness through your senses today. Mix and match and make your own combo experience.
Sight
1. Sunset Watching: Nothing like experiencing the golden hour and watching the colours in the sky as the sun goes down. Never fails to delight.
2. Nature Walk: Go lose yourself among the trees! Take a walk in a park or forest, especially if it’s new to you.
3. Appreciate Art: Visit a small art gallery or museum. Take a breath to absorb the beauty of what you’re seeing. Notice the little details that go into the craft.
4. Photography: Observe the light. Notice how speckled shadows fall through the leaves. Find unique angles that you wouldn’t normally observe that create symmetry and balance.
5. Look at the Stars: Try and identify the constellations on a clear night.
6. Scenic Train Ride: Take a scenic train ride (especially if it runs along the coast) and observe the changing landscapes as you pass through the country.
7. Visualisation: Close your eyes and visualise a peaceful scene. Imagine a happy place where you once were. Notice all the details and breathe.
Hearing
8. Nature Sounds: Sit outside and listen to the sounds of nature, such as birds chirping or leaves rustling.
9. Music Appreciation: Listen to a great piece of music. Pay attention to distinct instruments and what they’re doing. Feel the rhythm of the music in your body.
10. Guided Meditation: Try a guided meditation app that focuses on sound to help you relax and become more aware.
11. Listening to Silence: Find a quiet place and sit in silence, noticing the subtle sounds you usually overlook.
12. Audiobook: Listen to an audiobook and pay attention to the narration and background sounds.
Smell
13. Smell Flowers: Visit a garden or flower shop and smell different types of flowers.
14. Aromatherapy: Light some scented candles and appreciate the aroma. Or, if you have it, try diffusing some essential oils in the air.
15. Herb Garden: Create a collection of potted herbs or a small patch of herbs in your garden where you can enjoy the fresh smell of basil, mint, thyme, and rosemary.
16. Baking: Release the aroma of heaven in your home by baking some bread or cookies. Don’t be surprised if your neighbours become jealous and stop by.
17. Coffee Shop: Find a speciality coffee shop. Get near the barista and appreciate the smell as they freshly grind the coffee. Take in the smells of a single-origin filter coffee.
18. Cut the Grass: I personally love the smell of the petrol mowers too, but the smell of freshly cut grass is the one we’re after.
19. Scented Bath: For the ladies and perhaps a few of the men… run a bath with scented bath salts or bubbles. Steep for a long time like a strong cup of tea.
20. Perfume Sampling: Whenever you’re in an airport or see a good perfume shop, take the time to sample all the different fragrances.
Taste
21. Mindful Eating: Eat a meal slowly and try to identify each ingredient and flavour.
22. Seasonal Foods: Buy and eat foods that are “in season.” Note the difference in their flavours compared to normal.
23. Cheese Tasting: Need an excuse to eat copious amounts of cheese? It’s for your mental health! Get a load of different cheeses and share them with friends.
24. Chocolate Tasting: Same as above… but this time it’s chocolate for your mental health! This is why I love my job.
25. Cuisine From Around the World: Try a different type of cuisine from somewhere you haven’t been before. Go travelling with your food passport.
26. Wine Tasting: Attend a wine tasting. Listen carefully to the descriptions and try to find the flavours and aromas of each wine.
Touch
27. Pottery Class: Try pottery or clay modelling and focus on the sensation of the clay in your hands.
28. Go to the Beach: Walk barefoot on the beach. Feel the sand. Put your feet in the water.
29. Pet a Dog: Or any friendly animal. Enjoy the texture of their fur of coat.
30. Hand Massage: Give yourself (or someone else, if you know how) a hand massage. Relax and enjoy the sensations.
31. Swimming: Find a pool or body of water and enjoy the sensation of moving through water.
32. Knead Dough: Make some bread or pizza dough… knead it until you feel its texture changing. Hard work but satisfying.
33. Warm Bath: Take a warm bath. Focus on how your muscles slowly relax as your body becomes less tight.
That is sense-sational… you made it to the end.
You might also like my monthly email, Mind Shift Forum.
This article was adapted from one of those emails. Every calendar year, we pick a theme (hope, culture, networking, etc.) and each month there’s one email on one element of that theme — with the goal of improving our mindset or habits. Check it out!
How can I help?
Every single staff member needs basic mental health training (1 hour) → Mentality
1 in 10 staff need advanced mental health training (2 days) → MHFA Courses
All managers need mental health frameworks for today (half day) → The Managers Course
Every executive needs a culture of wellbeing in their business strategy → Register interest
Get your team engaged, energised, and talking (90 minutes) → Book Peter to speak
Anything else? Reach out or see the signposting page.
