This brief check-in is about tuning into the world around you for just a few moments.
The idea is to step out of autopilot and to connect with what's going on around you.
You can do it anywhere,
Anytime.
It could be a noise-filled home or a peaceful park.
Wherever you are,
The idea is to step out of your mind and into your senses.
We'll start off by looking around us.
What do you see around you?
The idea here is just to name what you see without getting caught up in how you feel about it.
For example,
I can see a pillow next to me on the chair.
I can see a large green plant and a coffee mug.
Just simply noting and tuning into your sense of vision as a way to connect with what's going on around you.
For this next part,
It helps to close your eyes if you feel comfortable too.
What can you hear in your environment?
There will likely be a whole bunch of sounds that you can now hear and that you've become aware of that were happening in the background and went by completely unnoticed until you stopped to check in and listen.
There will be sounds you like and sounds you don't like.
But again,
Don't get caught up in judging the sounds.
Just label them as you notice them.
You may be able to hear the sound of your own breathing.
A dog barking somewhere in the distance.
Perhaps the sound of the wind.
Last of all,
Let's become aware of our sense of touch.
What can you feel around you or on you?
Your clothing making contact with your skin.
Your hair on your face.
Pick up any objects around you and notice the feeling of them in your hands.
It could be a pen or a phone or a cushion.
Just really tuning in to your sense of touch.
The idea with this exercise is to have a way to quickly drop into our senses.
It's taken us just a few minutes,
But by doing this,
We're training our brains to be in the present moment.
We're giving ourselves a break from the chatter of our mind and perhaps the weight of some heavy feelings we might be carrying around.
Our senses are a really simple and effective way to ground ourselves in the present moment.
To wrap the exercise up,
Whenever you're ready,
Just gently opening your eyes.
No need to rush.
And trying,
If you can,
To take some of the grounded and present feeling into whatever it is that you're doing next.
