Do you spend too much time in your own head? Does it feel like your head never stops thinking thoughts like “what do I need to do next” or “what am I going to have for dinner” or “Does this person really like me”. Or like your awareness only exists from the neck up, as if you don’t even have a body just a head? You’re not alone – this is very common! Majority of human beings are quite disembodied (detached from our bodies mentally not physically). We’re taught to solve problems through thinking our way out of them.

One great way to get out of the head and into our body is to bring awareness into the body through the five senses. Using our five senses help’s us to be present and in the moment and not overthink (being stuck in your head). If you actually think about it our bodies are the biggest part of us and our heads on of the smallest parts, but we give our heads so much power! Don’t get me wrong we do need our heads to think about things obviously but there is a difference between thinking about things and overthinking things. How do you make your decisions with your head only or do you use your body and listen to what your body is telling you!

Here’s Some More Detail’s About Our Five Senses and Some Ways You Can Get Into Our Senses:

01

Smell the flowers and the fresh-cut grass when you go for a walk, take time and stop. Stop and breath, sounds so simple but this a one great way to allow our heads to stop so we can focus on our breath. Take a shower or bath and notice the scent of the body products you use. Create a spa-like environment in your home through putting essential oils in a diffuser or lighting candles, incense, sage or Palo Santo.

02

Taste your delicious meal or snack and eat it slowly and mindfully. Notice each flavour as it emerges, is it salty, sweet, sour, savoury, fatty, acidic, spicy, or bitter. Or pop some gum into your mouth and notice the taste.

03

Sound around you, pop in your earbuds or blast your favourite playlist. Try meditation music or you might sit outside and hear all the ambient sounds. There may be birds chirping, children playing, the rustling of leaves, a helicopter or airplane passing above, construction sounds, a siren, a neighbour calling for their partner, a dog barking. Notice without judgment.

04

Sight what is around you, find something beautiful, meaningful or interesting to look at and give it all your attention for a few minutes. This could be a house plant, a piece of art, a person, or any object really. Notice the size, shape, colour(s), texture(s) and depth of the object. Pay attention to how you feel as you look at this object.

05

Physical Touch is about feeling the sensation of your clothes on your skin or feeling someone’s arms around you as they hug you tightly. Sense the texture of your soft, scratchy, smooth, silky or bumpy clothes or blanket as you lay down. The warmth of another human beings body against your’s while you hug. Notice the temperature and the movement or stillness of the air on your skin. Bring awareness to the sensation of the hot, soapy water on your skin in the shower or while you are doing the dishes. Pay attention to any how things feel on your skin.

Try bringing awareness to these 5 senses for the rest of the day and see what happens. Notice if you feel more present, more relaxed and if your thoughts slow down a bit.

Remember that everyone has different sensory profiles and preferences and so what’s calming to one person could be agitating to another and vice versa. For one person, doing a calming breathing exercise might get them into the body, whereas for another, they may need a more active breathing meditation, like breath-work. For one person, doing a restorative yoga class might be the ticket, whereas for another power yoga may be the best fit to quiet the mind. I always recommend experimenting to see what work for you.

Do you struggle with being “in your head” too much?

If anything you read resonates with you, you had a lightbulb moment or want to know more. Book yourself in for a Free Discovery Call to find out more and invest in yourself.

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Disclaimer:

This post is meant for educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for diagnosis, assessment or treatments. If you need professional help, please seek it out.