Coping Skill: Sense Foraging

I can't stress this enough. Our senses are a very important piece to the greater puzzle of our overall psychological wellbeing. They are the means through which we interact within the world around us.

And modern culture often conspires to drown out our contact with our senses. And so doing, remove us from "reality."

When we look at a screen, listen to a song, or write on a computer like I'm doing know, we are thinning our native connections to the deepest channel of our lifes energy.

I am imagining as I write this that you might be thinking, "he's mad! Doesn't he know that when we're looking, listening, or writing, we are using our senses?" Yes. You are right, but it's not the same. It's mostly the same, and that's the damned devil that tricks us, but it's not the same.

If this sounds like I'm exaggerating, it's because we've normalized a way of living that is quietly starving one of our most ancient capacities.

Our minds know the difference between sensing something in nature, and something fabricated. Even when we don't consciously notice it ourselves. Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience shows us this.

Recent research from Yale has also shown that "video meetings" have the same reduced connection as compared to meeting in person. What's worse is these video meetings actually use more energy and leave us tired. Even when less of our brain is being engaged.

The opposite happens when I'm in living environments. More connections are created because my native wisdom knows that nature can potentially be deadly. My mind wants me to be ready for anything, the good or the bad, so it raises it's function to be prepared for either.

And this is why connecting with our senses in nature is so important. It helps our brains grow thick connections between the self and the world we live in. There's a second benefit that is almost as important, and I'll come to that later.

We can all benefit from what I am about to show you. Especially if we are struggling emotionally or mentally.

Sense Foraging

It's not essential that you do this outside, but I think it's much better if you do. The research says that ~2-3 hours outside a week shows the highest return on the investment of your time. I walk my dog Scarlett for roughly thirty minutes every day, so I'm doing pretty good.

I also want to encourge you to think of this as rehabilitative. We are rehabilitating ourselves from the thinning of our brain's connections done by our screens. All of the screens. Our TVs, computers, and the new screen king, our phones. We are rehabilitating ourselves from the effect of our screens slowly muting our capacity to connect with ourselves at a foundational level.

The steps

Pause for a moment. Setting your attention to "sense foraging" is about all it takes for the benefits to begin.

Open one sense at a time. I almost always begin with what I can see. What I can see at a distance and then what I am able to see closer to me. I do this for several reasons. The first is that, of the five senses, our vision gets the most real estate in the brain. And I look into the distance first because I want to gently signal to the deeper layers of my nervous system that I am safe.

Let attention roam, not lock. The attitude we are cultivating is one of openess to the physical/sensual world around us. So allow your mind to toggle.

Add detail, slowly and deliberately. Your attention might be drawn to a tree in your front yard. What about the tree feels most interesting in the moment?

Include your body. Notice the effect on your body. Is this relaxing, or do I notice a shift and more stress? Why are my knees locked?

Notice the shift. This is an important step and deserves it's own step. When we notice "the shift" we are noticing how our energy, our affect, is organizing itself in our body. Am I relaxing? Or maybe I'm feeling tired. The goal isn't to feel any particular way, just notice what's there, and how it might be changing.

Return to action. The goal isn't to freeze movement for the senses. It's only to slow ourselves enough so our senses can lead us.

This isn’t a state you try to hold on to. It’s a skill you visit and return from. You forage for a few moments, let your senses do their work, and then you go back to living your life. The value comes from repetition, not duration. Again and again, we restore contact, then move on.

We don't have to do this in nature but it's helpful. If the outdoors aren't available then I would encourage you to find a mall, or museum. Being around real, living, people is exciting for the mind. The nervous system loves it. Especially when you might be surrounded by strangers.

Go faster to awaken the senses

Sometimes we need to kick start our senses. To this end, I suggest you get on a bicycle and ride. The goal is to ride just fast enough that it's fun. This is an easy way to lean into and expand the embodied mind of your senses.

Or ride some other vehicle. Whatever it is, make sure you pay attention to where you are going and wear a helmet!

To close

Downtown Houston isn't a great place for bike rides. But it's a pretty good place for parks, food courts like The Post, or museaums like The Menile.

Finding a way to connect with our world through our senses is such low hanging fruit it often get's overlooked. I really hope you will take the time to slow down, open up, and let the world in. Your mind will thank you, and I think you will see a great return on the investment of time and energy.

If you live in the Houston area and feel like you might benefit from working with an experienced therapist, I invite you to reach out. I may be able to help.