Recently, a researcher confessed that she had missed the most important thing in her quest for the secret to happiness.
Gretchen Rubin is an American happiness researcher and the author of the best-selling book “The Happiness Project”. In an article published in the American newspaper CNBC, Rubin discussed a happiness secret that she had overlooked for a long time.
For ten years, Rubin searched for the secret to a happy life. By examining numerous scientific studies, she learned how to strengthen her relationships, boost her energy, and more.
However, a few years ago, Rubin began to feel stuck, disconnected from others and from herself.
Suddenly, Rubin realized she had treated her body like a car, with her brain acting as the driver. “But in reality, it is my body—through the five senses—that is the essential connection to the world,” Rubin said.
“I don’t want to reach the end of my life regretting that I missed too many things happening around me.”
While writing her book “Life in the Five Senses,” Rubin discovered the amazing benefits that the senses can offer our bodies, helping us to be more focused, live longer, and evoke happiness.
1. Need an Energy Boost? Use Your Sense of Smell!
When you need a boost of energy, you can enjoy your favorite scents, such as wood, floral, or fruity aromas, Rubin advises.
The interesting thing here is that you cannot preserve scents for later use. “Scent ties you to the present while also having the power to transport you back to the past,” Rubin said.
For example, the scent of eucalyptus always reminds Rubin of the ten months she spent living in San Francisco.
Fragrances can also enhance awareness, according to Rubin. One morning, as she left her building, she could tell that a food truck was frying bacon and that a passerby was smoking, all thanks to the scents around her.
When you need an energy boost, enjoy your favorite scents.
2. Feeling Stressed? Use Your Sense of Touch!
Objects like pop it toys, fidget spinners, and therapeutic dough can help us feel calmer, Rubin shares.
“A friend of my aunt works in palliative care, and they recently ordered a large quantity of personal blankets. Touching something soft and warm is truly comforting,” Rubin said.
“I have my own way of using my sense of touch. When I’m anxious, like standing backstage before an important speech, I will hold a pen.”
Objects like pop it toys, fidget spinners, and therapeutic dough can help us feel calmer.
3. Feeling Distracted and Ineffective? Use Your Sense of Hearing!
Rubin states that the more control she has over her environment, the less she is disturbed by erratic noises.
For instance, when she takes her laptop into a quiet library to work, she can be distracted by someone else’s cough.
This happens to many people, but you can take charge of your space by “clearing out” the noises that distract you. Things you can do include blocking spam calls, setting appropriate notification modes, and listening to music while working if that helps you focus.
You can take control of your space by “clearing out” the noises that distract you.
4. Need Creativity? Use Your Sense of Sight!
“When I need a little inspiration, I try to find small details. During my daily walks, instead of getting lost in my thoughts, I give myself tasks: Find something purple, spot a tree, or look for a hat,” Rubin shares.
The researcher mentioned that she once studied materials from various apartment buildings. One was built with dark brown bricks, another had white bricks, and another was made of smooth light yellow stones. “I had walked past these buildings hundreds of times and had never noticed these differences,” Rubin recounts.
“I found more beauty—in the orange coat of a woman, in a flock of birds flying overhead—and I also discovered more interesting things.”
Colors and beauty can inspire creativity.
5. Want to Feel Closer to Others? Use Your Sense of Taste!
Enjoying delicious meals with others is one of humanity’s oldest and most common traditions.
Rubin shares her tip: “To connect more with people, I hosted a ‘Flavor Party.’ My friends and I rated different types of apples, chocolates, and potato chips. We tasted ketchup. We reminisced about the candies we had eaten as kids.”
“It was so much fun. We were not only socializing; we were sharing a sensory experience, and that made us all laugh. These conversations made us feel unusually warm and intimate.”
Delicious meals are one of the ways to bring people closer together.
Conclusion
Exploring the five senses has transformed Rubin’s life. Each day, she harnesses the power of the senses to connect herself with the ordinary moments she wishes to experience and remember.
