Savoring Through Senses: A Personal Growth Journey Back to Your Body

Hello, Cadre world. This is Dr. Jessica Green, and we are having a wonderful Wednesday. That's what we're going to call it. And as we wait for some others to come on in, for some of you who have been here before, I am going to tell you welcome back. And for some Again, I am Dr. Jessica Green. I am a licensed therapist here in South Carolina, as well as a supervisor, and I'm also licensed in North Carolina and also Florida. And today, with this weather, it has been a roller coaster. So I am congested.

I have been sneezing all morning. I am taking some OTC medication, so I'm hoping that that helps and gets me through the day. You know, generally we rate our week, how it's going. So for me, I would say it's a 5, and I'm hoping it's leaning into 8, 9, 10, where I feel better and I can actually breathe. But today, we are going to talk about personal growth, but personal growth in regards to using our senses. Because if we think about it, a lot of us have been on autopilot, right? Where we're floating through our days without truly feeling them.

You know, we have those blockers. Oh, yes. A10 and good morning. We have those blockers, but we're not allowing ourselves to live and be in that moment. So we're going to talk about our senses and how personal growth can relate to it. So maybe you've been stuck in your head, maybe you've been stressed out, you have been distracted, or just had that feeling of being disconnected from your body. And if that's you, I want you to know that you are not alone in this journey. And there is a gentle way back which will be through our senses.

So that's what we're going to talk about today when it comes to personal growth, how we can utilize our senses to reach that personal growth, but also propel us to that next level. So our senses are our gateway to the present moment, okay? They can anchor us, they can soothe us, and they can bring us home to ourselves. And when we use our senses and we learn how to use them, it's important that we use them with intention, and we allow them to become powerful tools for our personal growth. So we all go through seasons where we lose touch with our bodies, and we may lose touch with our bodies through stress, through grief, constant digital noise, or even just a busy routine.

And with school starting back, a lot of us are going into those busy routines where we had those moments where we could, you know, calm down, be able to be in the moment. But now it's creeping up again. Because if they're not in school, they're playing sports. If they're not playing sports, then our kids are in after school activities. And these can pull us out of the here and now when it comes to our senses. So some things that you may feel, you know, you may notice that you may feel a sense of numbness, like you're moving through the day without remembering what you ate, you know, let alone what time did I go to sleep?

We may also be struggling to notice the beauty in our surroundings, where we may feel detached from joy. Almost like you're watching life from behind a glass wall. You know, we always talk about that glass ceiling. But with personal growth and feeling stress, that sense of fatigue, sometimes we may feel as if we are watching our life pass us behind a glass wall. So behind that glass wall, that's just your nervous system doing its best to protect you. It's not a flaw, but it's a sign that you need a gentle push.

And then a gentle reconnection. And reconnecting with your senses can help you rediscover not just being present in that moment, but also a deeper connection with who you are becoming and making sure you do not allow yourself to dim your light. So let's talk about how your senses can guide you back. So when we think about sight, if you are in the car, I want you to listen. But if you are somewhere in your office, somewhere where we're not driving any vehicles, I want you to look around, okay? And I want you to notice one color that stands out to you the most.

So as I look around, it's going to be more of a peachy color. And I want you to see how the light touches that object around you. Good morning, Jules. I want you to see how that light touches the objects around you. You know, for me, I see the peach color of the wall, but then the lights projecting on it through the window, so it gives you that glossy, touchy feel. I want you to think about some things that you hear that sound. So I want you to close your eyes for a second. And as you close your eyes, do you hear the humness of the appliances?

You know, do you hear distant voices? Do you hear those kids in the background? Do you hear the rhythm of your own breathing? And as I do that, I hear the washing machine going off. You know, I hear that numbing sound when we think about smell. I want you to pause before you take that sip of coffee or that sip of tea, But I want you to be able to take that deep breath and I want you to smell that aroma that's in there. Because that aroma is going to tell a little story about that journey as we fix our coffee.

You know, we might have went to go fix that coffee and then we realized out of K cups. So that's a little story of telling ourselves. You know what? I'm not going to allow me not having K cups ruin my morning. You know, I'm going to find some tea, I'm going to find, you know, some hot lemon water or tea to drink. Taste. Next time you eat, I want you to try taking one slow, intentional bite. And I want you to notice how the flavor changes as you chew. Or if you on the couch eating popcorn, watching a movie, I want you to be intentional as we eat that popcorn, you know, and we take that bite and we nourish and absorb that flavor as we chew.

When it comes to touch, feel the fabric of your shirt, you know, the texture of your chair, or even the temperature in the air or how it feels on your skin. And here's a quick sensory grounding exercise you can do wherever, anywhere you are. So I want you to take one slow, deep breath, then name it either silently or out loud. And then I want you to think about what's one thing that you can see, where one thing you can hear and then also one thing that you can feel. And we don't need an entire hour to do this.

This sense of meditation or our ability to reconnect. All you need is just those moments. So here are three micro practices that you can start today, all right, not tomorrow, not this evening, but something that you can start today. So the first is a morning sense check. So before you reach for your phone in the morning, I want you to notice one thing that you can see, one thing you can hear, smell, taste, and one thing you can touch so you can be in that moment and not thinking about that to do.

List that mentally reaching that capacity in our brain. Number two, we call these mindful moments. So I want you to set a daily reminder to pause for 30 seconds and notice your surroundings. So it may be at 11 o', clock, it may be at 3 o', clock, it may be At 8 o'. Clock. But I want you to make sure you have those daily reminders so you can be in the note the moment and also notice your surroundings. And number three, sensory gratitude. So before bed, I want you to recall one sensory moment you appreciated that day.

It might have been that hug from your grandchildren. It might have been that high five from your boss. But I want you to think about that one sensory gratitude moment before you go to bed. And also, even thinking about five positive things that happened for me, today is important as well. So recall one sensory moment that you appreciated that day and think about five positive things that happened that day. Because that allows us to be in the moment. That allows us to have that sense of gratitude.

But then also be excited for tomorrow. So the more you engage your senses, the more you anchor yourself in the here and now where your life is actually happening. So today, I want you to let your sentences be your guide. I want you to taste your coffee. I want you to feel that sun, even though it's gloomy here along the Grand Strand. And I want you to listen to that wind. But also remember that you are allowed to slow down enough to savor your life. Because personal growth doesn't just happen in big milestones.

It happens in the smallest, most sensory moments of your day. As always, be courageous. Have compassion, build connections. And also take care of yourself. See you soon.