Come to Your Senses: An Experiment in Mindfulness

When we hear the phrase "come to your senses," we tend to interpret it as returning to commonsense. We use the phrase to mean that someone was once not thinking rationally, and now is. But, I was challenged to reconsider this phrase by writer Liz Gilbert. What if, she asked, we take the phrase literally? So often, we are in our minds, aren't we? What would happen if we got out of our minds and into our bodies more often?

I decided to experiment with this concept about 2 weeks ago. I chose one sense a day, for 5 days, and focused on it as often as I could. I started on a Monday, with smell. It is absolutely incredible how many scents we encounter in a day, and when I brought my attention to my sense of smell, it was remarkable. I noticed that I take many smells for granted -- my morning coffee, my favorite body wash, my scented candles. I also noticed that filtering out smells helps me function in busy places like markets or cafeterias. 

I continued with sight on Tuesday, challenging myself to really slow down and see what was in front of me. I tend to pay attention to detail in general, but this one was tough, due to the usually fast-paced environment I work in. Wednesday, I focused on taste, which again was tough. I noticed that I typically rush through meals, which I think is a widespread habit. Thursday, I chose sound, mainly because I knew we were having a dance at school and I'd be doing the deejaying. It was fun to more intentionally pay attention to the impact of music on people, especially in a group environment. A song everyone loved would come on, and a collective cheer would raise, or people would start singing together. Friday was touch -- again, I noticed how many sensations I process out or take for granted. 

I had no specific "rules" for this experiment of coming to my senses, just a general theme for each day and a "let's see what happens" attitude. It was a good reminder that far too often, I'm stuck in my head. And I know I'm not alone in this. Anxiety, for example, plagues many of us on a regular basis, and anxiety is essentially being stuck in our own heads, in the sea of "what ifs." Coming to our senses, back to our bodies, is a helpful technique for anxiety. A common strategy for quelling a panic attack is this -- 


Coming back to the senses can bring us back to the present moment, which is really all we ever have, despite what our anxious minds may want us to believe. 

I'd recommend trying your own little version of my experiment. Maybe it's one sense a week, or an hour. Or, maybe you decide to check in with all 5 senses at once. I don't know what it might look like for you, but I encourage you to try it. "Coming to your senses" may be just what you need. 

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