Sense Awareness Practice – Take a Break and Relax

Focusing on your senses puts you in the present moment and helps relieve anxious feelings as you let go of the stress of the day. Sense awareness exercises grow focus and awareness by helping you watch and understand what your mind is doing. The exercise strengthens understanding, helping you see your day-to-day options and choices. This only needs to take a moment.

If you are home, in an office, or other building, give yourself a minute to relax. Look past your area and notice what you can see. Look at the ceiling lights and the ceiling itself. Look at the walls and what is on the walls. Look at the different items around you? What strong sounds can you hear? Next try to hear the quieter sounds and let the louder sounds fade away. Can you feel your legs and back touching what you are sitting on? Can you feel your clothes touching your skin? Move your feet slightly and feel your shoes or socks moving on the floor. Are there any smells wafting through your area? Identify what they are and where they may be coming from.

Seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, and tasting helps bring you back to the present moment. Be aware of your senses without making stories. If thoughts take you away from your focus on your senses, just let go and move your attention back to the present moment. If whatever pulled you away is strong, let your attention stay on it until it lessens, and then return your focus back to your senses.

When you hear, just hear. When you see, truly see what is around you. When you touch, feel what is touched. When you smell and taste, truly smell and taste. It sounds so easy, but it is difficult to just be aware of your senses. If you can focus on your senses, you can let go of the busy mind, be in the present moment, and relax.