September 30, 2023

My new guide, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World, simply hit the cabinets. What a pleasure it was to jot down this guide!

A very powerful—and sudden—discovery I made whereas engaged on it: We will use our 5 senses to strengthen our connections to others.

The extra I realized about my 5 senses, the extra I wished to debate them with different folks. I saved saying issues like, “The odor of charcoal at all times makes me consider summer season. How about you?” or “Do you know that elephants can hear the motion of clouds?” Sensory experiences present an effective way to attach with different folks, as a result of all of us share them.

My 5 senses helped me develop nearer to the folks I beloved by serving to me observe the main points of their precise presence—so beloved however really easy to take with no consideration. What’s acquainted is straightforward to disregard.

By noticing extra of the sensations related to the folks we love—the odor of a shampoo, the texture of a hug, the sound of a voice—we are able to deepen our appreciation for folks and make our recollections extra vivid.

In Life in 5 Senses, I describe many sensory actions that may assist you join with others. A few of my favorites embody:

  • Write a style timeline of your life and memory about these tastes with individuals who shared them (my sister Elizabeth and I had a terrific time speaking concerning the tastes of our childhood)
  • Construct and share a nostalgic playlist or Audio Apothecary
  • Create a five-senses portrait of somebody necessary to you
  • Host a style occasion the place mates, household, or co-workers examine varieties or manufacturers of various meals (apples, chips, ice cream, tea)
  • Plan an exercise with one other particular person to faucet right into a neglected sense
  • Give a gift that comforts or delights the 5 senses


To study extra about these actions and the way tapping into our senses can result in a richer life, order my new guide,
Life in Five Senses, or obtain the audiobook.

The submit Easy methods to Join with Others Utilizing the 5 Senses appeared first on Gretchen Rubin.