Relaxing with Your Five Senses
Audrey Costa
T
aste, touch, sight, hearing
and smell. These are our 5
senses we have to work with,
and mine always seem heightened
around this time of year. Pumpkin
spice everything, comfy sweaters (at
least indoors), fall decorations on
neighborhood porches, and happy
squeals and screams from little
monsters, ghouls and princesses
getting their favorite Halloween
candy. When you want to unwind
or come down from the stress and
craziness of every function or activity
taking place this time of year, what
things soothe you? Not including
people or pets, but rather the sensory
signals that engage your senses that
get you back to center.
Our senses can accentuate or alleviate
any stress we might be under.
Therapists recommend focusing on
your senses and breathing when your
mind starts a knife fight with itself.
Below are some of my favorite stress-
48
|
WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
|
OCTOBER 2018
relieving sensory cues that hopefully Fall more than any other season.
might come in handy for you:
Smell
I love the smell of
coffee – especially with
Fall’s warm hazelnut,
praline, and pumpkin
spice signature scents. The aroma of
coffee reminds me of a new day, a fresh
start. And since I can sometimes be
prone to bad decision-making (darn
you, 3am cheesecake!), it’s a comforting
scent for me. With chronic anxiety,
I’ve learned to use coffee beans to
ground myself (no pun intended).
When my brain is in a negative loop,
like thinking about the imminent
holiday spends, imminent weight gain
from holiday goodies, or impending
visits with my family, I enjoy the smell
of coffee beans to remind myself that
everything is going to be ok. Smelling
something familiar to relax yourself
can be soothing, but we also use smell
to launch ourselves into the spirit of
Sight
I have a few visuals
that bolster my spirit.
Full disclosure, I have
never really matured
past cartoons and holiday movies.
I love me some Halloween movies!
Not only do cartoons and holiday
movies transport me back to a
simpler time of Saturday-morning-
relaxin’ and excitement for this time
of year, but these days these shows
are made for everyone to enjoy – no
matter the age. They make things
seem uncomplicated, clear, even
innocent. Your own visual happy
cues, whether they be landscape
photography, paintings, sculpture,
or even memes will certainly relieve
some of those adult fixations grown
folks like to harp on. For me, movies
like Halloweentown or Hocus Pocus
just make me want to relocate to a
place where trees have turned red,