#Sensory Engagement

[harmonyhealinghub]

Reduce Anxiety in 10 Seconds: Engage Your Senses for Instant Calm

Shaina Tranquilino

January 16, 2024

We all experience moments of anxiety and stress in our lives. Whether it's due to work pressures, personal challenges, or the constant barrage of information we receive daily, finding quick and effective ways to reduce anxiety is essential for our overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore a simple yet powerful technique that can help you find instant calm within just 10 seconds - engaging your senses. By focusing on what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste around you, you can quickly shift your attention away from anxious thoughts and ground yourself in the present moment.

To practice this exercise effectively, find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably or stand if you prefer. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Now let's begin:

1. Five Things You See: Look around your surroundings deliberately and identify five things that catch your attention visually. It could be anything from objects in the room to nature outside your window. Focus on these visual elements with curiosity and interest, allowing them to distract you momentarily from any anxious thoughts. Example: A painting hanging on the wall, a potted plant on the windowsill, a family photo on your desk, sunlight streaming through the curtains, and a cozy blanket draped over the couch.

2. Four Things You Hear: Shift your focus now to what you can hear around you. Tune into various sounds present in your environment with an open mind. Pay attention to both external noises and internal sounds like your own breathing or heartbeat. Example: Birds chirping outside, distant traffic noise, the hum of electronics running nearby, gentle background music playing softly, and the sound of your own steady breaths.

3. Three Things You Feel: Next, direct your attention towards physical sensations within your body. These could include feelings of warmth or coolness, pressure, tingling, or the texture of objects you are touching. Notice these sensations and let them anchor you in the present moment. Example: The softness of the cushion beneath you, the warmth of sunlight on your skin, and the gentle breeze brushing against your face.

4. Two Things You Smell: Engaging our sense of smell can be a powerful tool to shift our focus and reduce anxiety. Take a deep breath in through your nose and try to identify two distinct smells around you. It could be the scent of flowers, freshly brewed coffee, or even the aroma of scented candles. Example: The subtle fragrance of lavender essential oil and the rich aroma of freshly baked cookies from the kitchen.

5. One Thing You Taste: Finally, bring your attention to your sense of taste by identifying one thing you can taste at that moment. This might require a bit more creativity depending on where you are but try focusing on any residual flavors in your mouth or imagine something delicious like mint or citrus. Example: The lingering sweetness of a piece of chocolate you enjoyed earlier or the refreshing burst of flavor from chewing gum.

By engaging your senses for just 10 seconds using this simple exercise, you can effectively redirect your attention away from anxious thoughts and ground yourself in the present moment. Remember that practice makes perfect! Regularly incorporating this technique into your daily routine will help it become an automatic response whenever anxiety arises.

Remember, reducing anxiety is a journey that requires patience and self-compassion. While this exercise may not eliminate all sources of stress from your life, it can serve as a valuable tool in managing anxiety when used consistently over time. So take a deep breath, engage your senses, and find solace in knowing that calm is always within reach - even if just for 10 seconds at a time.

[trendynewsnow]

The Sensory Journey of Scent in Museums

Does dark matter have a scent reminiscent of pepper? How pungent was the breath of the Tyrannosaurus rex? What delightful aromas might an extinct flower have exuded? And what fragrances could we encounter on the lunar surface or Mars? As museums evolve from static exhibitions to dynamic experiences, they are increasingly incorporating interactive audio, visual, and tactile elements into their…

[hikercarl]

Mindful Hiking: How to Connect with Nature on the Trail

Discover the art of mindful hiking and deepen your connection with nature. Learn techniques to enhance awareness, reduce stress, and find serenity on the trail.

Hiking with friends is a favorite activity of ours, filled with laughter and great conversation. But we often miss out if we don’t pause and really notice our surroundings. Taking time to engage our senses while hiking helps calm us down and connects us deeply with nature. This practice is not just relaxing; it also boosts our well-being. Being in nature reduces stress and anxiety. It helps us…

[compassionmattersmost]

Experiencing the Present Moment: Beyond Conceptualization

Introduction In our fast-paced world, we often find ourselves caught up in thoughts, judgments, and conceptualizations, missing the richness of direct experience. Embracing the present moment can offer profound benefits, providing a clearer connection to reality and deeper personal insight. This post explores the value of immersing ourselves in the direct experience of now and how it transcends…

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Killer having curiosity and fascination as his substitute for joy and happiness for the longest time up until color entered his life and lit up his world yay or nay

[comicaurora]

this is non comic or OSP related, so sorry if i'm overstepping, but do you have any advice for someone that wants to move/exercise more but is utterly unmotivated?(not exercise for muscles, just movement for the sake of movement)

Honestly? Think of something physically demanding you want to be able to do. Stuff like hiking and/or climbing rough terrain, running free with the wind in your hair, swordfighting, stunt falls, sick metal gear combat rolls - anything that has ever made you sit up and think "I wish I could do that!" Once you reframe movement and exercise as a way to make your body capable of more fun things, it becomes a lot easier to stay motivated.

[ithinkimauggie]

Deleted tiktok, i am finally free lets go gamers

[lovebitesandcrosses]

I thought getting forcibly restrained for a couple hours would fix all my bullshit. Maybe it didn’t cure every problem immediately but it was still a 10/10 experience. Highly recommend, five stars.

[luridparty]

twirlinggggggg aiuggughhhh....... grins reaaaaaally wide. ouheheheheheeeeeeee YES.

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

I did something completely out of my comfort zone and I lived!

[tropiyas]

I actually do love taking off my glasses when I get overwhelmed by a loud and claustrophobic setting

[robinsnest2111]

reason number 24601 I might be autistic: the entire way I was as a young child without a mask/filter from not yet experiencing all the backlash/shaming/disciplining/punishments for being weird and unpleasant and difficult to handle the way I was because of (handwave) Issues ™

[spicy-flower]

I've used my Loop Switch pair for about a month now, and I'm happy to say that they've been working well for me. There are some things that I am less keen on, but overall it's a good product.

TL;DR: have been great for navigating overwhelming and loud scenarios, for focusing, and other tasks. Occlusion effect may bother some more than others, but overall they're pretty good. A bit pricey, but if you can afford it I think it's worth it.

(full review under the cut)

Design

I like the sleek design (the earplugs aren’t visible from the front) and the portable case. Because both the earplugs and case are small (although this is to be expected) I feel I am prone to losing them, but alas that goes for most things as well. There's a small, stretchy loop on the case which fits well on my lanyard for school.

I have seen some reviews mention that because the “switch” feature makes the earplugs bulkier they are uncomfortable for them. Personally I haven’t found this to be a problem and I think they're pretty comfortable, but I also haven’t been wearing them for very long periods of time which may make a difference.

The ear tips are really hard to put on and I really struggled with it, but I found my fit pretty easily (Small).

Function

Occlusion: The occlusion effect is noticeable and I’m weirdly self conscious about it, but I think it’s a small price to pay compared to overstimulation.

Switching feature: There is definitely a difference between the settings. I think it would be fine to order the Engage and Quiet separately as I don’t see much of a use for the Experience mode - it’s very close to the Engage setting in terms of reduction. However I understand the appeal (and agree myself) of having multiple modes in one, it’s just more convenient.

Personally I wish the Quiet mode had higher noise canceling, and the Engage mode was just a little bit lighter because in most situations it’s a bit too heavy. Then the Experience mode would fit better in the middle.

Use Scenarios

Sleep: I actually have no use for sleeping in these because it’s very quiet where I live, but I decided to try them out for the purpose of this review. I lasted maybe 30 minutes wearing them but the ringing that I hear in quiet places was amplified way too much. They seem perfectly fine in terms of comfort but I have no idea how they are for the entirety of the night.

Grocery Shopping: Grocery shopping is a nightmare for me with all of the bright sounds and repetitive and/or overlapping noises. After wearing them a few times they’ve been a great help, but I get a bit anxious because people’s voices are still difficult to discern from the background noise and I have no idea how loud I’m talking. This becomes more of an issue when shopping with family members/others, but would be fine if I’m alone.

School cafeteria: These have been such a lifesaver in the cafeteria. Although I do have to say I avoid wearing them while eating (mouth noises are way too loud), after I finish I can talk to the people around me while feeling much less overwhelmed.

School hallways: I also wear them in the school hallways sometimes, and they work well.

Focusing: I wish they blocked out more noise, but much better than nothing.

Very sorry if any of my writing is confusing!

[pastafossa]

If the super cool odd smelling of incense witchy binder with the crinkly aged paper and the tiny wonderful bag of string and amazing little decorations and journaling questions is there on the bottom shelf of the shop for 4 months and you look at it every time and it's clear you are the only one entranced by it, then it's meant for you, it was meant to be yours, I say to myself in the mirror, knowing I was trying to save money.

[stal3bread]

Do the Flare Calmers actually do anything? I have Loop Engages but I don't wear them that much because they make my voice sound so weird in my head, and regulating my volume is already something I struggle with. I like the amount they reduce noise by though. I'm thinking of getting the Flare Calmer because I've heard they don't cause that issue of your voice sounding super loud in your head with them in, but do they actually help? Do you find yourself less overstimulated when you wear them out? I don't want to spend 25 Euros on something that won't do anything.

[misspermitted]

Having Autism and ADHD is like

Me: I cannot focus on this without also doing five other things

Also me: I cannot multitask without panicking because too much stimulus