Research shows that we're more productive when we step away from our desks for a few minutes to take a break rather than slaving away endlessly trying to get everything done.
You can think of it like being a wise woodcutter taking a few minutes to sharpen your saw to make your work quicker and more effective.
Your saw in this case is your mind and in this exercise we will awaken and sharpen your senses on a quick mindfulness walk.
It will give you a chance to disconnect from what you've been working on so that you can come back fresher.
It will also be good to give your eyes a break from the screen.
Experts advise looking away into the distance for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
If you can't move around you can do this staying where you are but if you are able to stretch your legs let's get up and start moving around.
You can do this inside or if you're able why not venture into the wild outside.
We will go through an exercise where we will check in with each of our senses in turn and don't be surprised if you realise you've paid little to no attention to some of these for quite some time.
As you walk I invite you to adopt a half smile.
Not a big grin where people might wonder what's wrong with you but just a slight tug at the corners of your lips.
The half smile or smile of the Buddha has been shown to improve mood in a matter of minutes by tricking your physiology into being happy.
So with the half smile on your face let's first take a nice long inhale through the nose.
Gently fill your belly and then your lungs and then sigh it out.
Again in through your nose,
Inhaling into your belly and then filling your lungs as deep as you can and exhale.
Ideally you walk somewhere quiet and make sure to stay aware of your surroundings.
We're going to step through our senses finding five things to see,
Four things to hear,
Three things to feel,
Two things to smell and one to taste.
Don't worry too much about what the actual things are,
Your senses will wake up even with the most mundane things.
Let's start with what for many of us is our most dominant sense,
Sight.
I want you to spend a few moments finding five things to look at and appreciate,
Noting a quality about each of them.
Perhaps you notice light reflecting off a surface or a reflection in a window.
Maybe you can see something colourful or something with an interesting texture.
Don't spend too long picking objects,
Simply allow your gaze to rest on each one in turn,
Noting its visual properties and enjoying paying more attention than usual to this most powerful of senses.
How's your half smile?
Make sure you haven't reverted to a resting grumpy face.
Continuing on your walk I'd like you to pay attention to what you can hear or feel free to stay where you are if you've found a nice spot.
Of course you can hear my voice,
But if you remove a headphone what else can you hear?
We're after four things this time and feel free to pause the audio if that's easier.
The noises don't need to be peaceful or melodious,
Mundane sounds are fine,
All we're doing is activating our senses.
Perhaps you can hear the rumble of traffic,
Or people's voices,
Maybe you can hear some sounds of nature,
Birds or the wind in the trees,
Or the hum of a machine.
Allow yourself to take in the sounds and fully experience them,
Not minding which particular sounds they are.
The next sense is touch.
Moving to a new location or staying where you are,
Still with the half smile,
Look for three things to touch.
Being as subtle as you can if people are around to avoid people thinking that you've completely lost it.
Pick your first object and touch it with your fingertips.
How does it feel?
Is it hot,
Cold,
Smooth,
Rough?
Can you press it harder or squeeze it?
Is it solid or malleable?
Find the next object,
It could be the fabric of your clothing or the feeling of your own hair.
How does it feel?
How is its temperature and does it have any moisture?
And number three,
Find another object or instead notice the overall feeling of your body from the inside out.
Next is smell.
Is there anything around you that you can smell?
Food,
Cooking,
Perfume,
The gritty smells of the city.
Perhaps you can smell soap on your hands or the smell of laundry detergent on your clothes.
Don't worry if the smells are mundane,
Allow them to fill your nose and keep smiling to yourself about how you're trying something new today.
Once you've taken in two smells we'll move on to the last sense,
Taste.
If you have a drink or anything to hand then take a sip or if not,
Notice what you can taste in your mouth.
Maybe the remnants of your last cup of tea or coffee or a reminder of what you last ate.
It doesn't matter what it is or even if it's 100% pleasant,
All we're doing is switching the sense of taste on.
Okay,
Now you've switched all of your senses on in turn,
Let's see if we can connect them all at once.
What are the inputs of all of your senses telling you?
How does it make you feel when you experience life with the volume of your senses turned up?
Do you feel more vibrant or alive?
Do you feel more in the present moment and less tied up in your thoughts?
Less in the past or in the future?
When the recording ends,
Finish your walk paying more attention to what your senses are telling you and see if they don't tell you that however things might seem in your mind,
There's a world of simple pleasures to be enjoyed when you take a moment to give them the time of day.
