Despite creating the Military Meditation Coach podcast a few years ago, I don’t have a long history with meditation and mindfulness. Like many folks with ADHD, I’m a hyperactive multitasker who finds it hard to sit still. And before I learned appropriate ways to deal with anxiety, the thought of being alone with my thoughts sounded like torture.
That’s why I like the Five Senses Activity. It’s a simple practice, and it’s efficient, too.
Mindfulness is when we focus on the here-and-now instead of thinking about things that happened in the past or all the crap we have yet to do. It’s good for us and free. Yay free stuff!
This practice is so easy that it feels a little silly for me to list instructions. But I like to write, so here you go.
Briefly consider each of your five senses in turn.
What do you see? List some of the things that catch your eye. Don’t overthink it. [For me right now it’s a monitor, a bag of dark chocolate chips, and art my kids made.]
What do you hear? [Rain on the roof of my office ceiling, my white noise machine.]
What do you smell? [I’m not getting much. This happens.]
What do you taste? [Coffee. Chocolate chips -- they’re not just for decoration.]
What do you feel? How are your clothes fitting you? How does your chair feel under you? [My cardigan is pretty cozy. Stereotypical therapist.]
With some practice, you can do this activity in a minute or less. Try it once a day for a week and see what you notice. A benefit is you’ll have more solid memories about the moment in.
Next time you’re someplace beautiful, petting a very good dog, or snuggling someone you love, try it out and let me know what you think!