Slow Down and Savor Summer: Using Your Senses to Recharge
Explore How Engaging Your 5 Senses Can Help Your Nervous System Rest and Stay Present During the Busy Summer Months
TL;DR:
Summer can feel like it's over in the blink of an eye, but by engaging all five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—you can slow down and fully embrace the season. These sensory practices help soothe the nervous system, whether you're out in nature or at home. Try exploring your surroundings through play with your senses to feel more present, connected, and relaxed.
Summer is here! We anticipate its arrival for so many months of the year and when it finally comes, it often feels like it’s gone by in a flash!
So how do we slow down and embrace these summer months when schedules are full and there’s 700 things to cram in before the dreaded white stuff reappears?
The secret is in exploring activities and practices that help the nervous system rest, not just the body or the mind. Thanks to today’s modern lifestyles and societal expectation our nervous systems are both under and over stimulated all at the same time.
We are going to outline some ideas and for you to play around with. The key word here being play. For the focus of this article we are looking at how we can do this outside in a natural setting- but all of these ideas can also be replicated at home in your backyard, a local park or even in your home if you have houseplants.
Play with the sense of sight.
Did you know that we can process 400x more shades of green than any other color? This is because our primitive nervous systems have been immersed in nature for millions of years, it’s only the last 200 years or so that we have reduced the green spaces in our urban communities.
What do you notice?
Can you see any contrasting colors or patterns? Light vs dark. Jagged vs smooth. Short vs tall.
Play with the sense of sound.
Bird song allows the nervous system to relax because it sends a signal of safety- back in our hunter gatherer days, the birds would stop singing if there was a predator in the area. Our bodies still remember this.
Can you hear a plane fly by?
Or the sound of your own breathe?
Can you hear the birds singing?
Play with the sense of smell.
Certain scents (eg. lavender, clary sage, chamomile) work directly with receptors in our body to soothe the nervous system.
Are there some flowers around so you can literally stop and smell the roses (or the canola, a tree or some grass)?
Maybe you can smell your laundry detergent on your clothes.
Play around with the sense of taste.
Maybe you can still taste the last thing you ate or the toothpaste from brushing. IF you are home you could grab a square of chocolate or sip some tea. If you’re out in nature you could play around with gently parting your lips and sipping in small tastes of sunlight. Imagine it filling your body.
By paying attention to all 5 senses one at a time, it can create a ‘circuit breaker’ in the nervous system allowing us to become fully present for a short period of time.
Lastly play with the sense of touch.
Physical touch brings us back into our body if we are feeling anxious or stuck in our heads.
Can you find something smooth?
Something rough?
Something cold?
Something hot?
Can you feel the points of contact that your body is making with the earth?
Following playing around with all 5 senses, which one feels the most alive? Is there something that helped you feel really connected and present that you’d like to bring into your self-care practice?
Charlie Webb, CEO and Therapist
Nurtured Minds Wellness and Therapy Services
Leduc, Calmar and Wizard Lake.
Please note that this article is not meant to replace therapy, if you are struggling with your mental health or need someone to talk to please connect with a licensed therapist either on our team or at your preferred practice. Nurtured Minds is also proud to offer forest based services and retreats for those who are still learning to heal with nature.
