Sensory actions for relieving stress are stored in 5 Senses Bank.
Tastes, sounds, smells, sights & touches can be stress antidotes
Did you know that music listening affects us biologically by modulating the stress response? Or that placing your hand on your heart may lower cortisol levels after becoming stressed and lightly massaging and looking at your face can improve not only microcirculation but raises oxytocin levels and can reduce stress?
We navigate the world successfully using 5 Senses.
5 Senses Lab is banking sensory actions for relieving stress that have been scientifically validated. Like, the rapid effects of colour illumination on heart rate variability and significant stress-reducing effects of music.
Our senses evolved as a key part of self-regulation and adapting to our surroundings. We’ve forgotten this in the shift to sedentary work and digital leisure, not least because both can dull and override our senses. Now, neuroscience is reminding us we can increase positive emotion and decrease stress on a rapid and relatively effortless path by strategically activating each of the five senses (Rodriquez and Kross 2023).
Smell something earthy to relieve mental strain. Spend a couple minutes in moonlight to calm the gut-brain axis. Tune out all but ambient sounds for 1-2 minutes while cradling the back of the head with interlocked fingers to free sticky thoughts that won’t settle. Watch the sky on a walk during golden light to build up a spark that’s run low.
We are sourcing sensory actions from peer-reviewed science (RCTs of stress mitigations) and from classic texts of traditional knowledge (Japanese Kampo, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda). The connecting line across knowledge bases is joy.
“Try cooking with rosemary while listening to Mozart for a mental boost.”
Activating our senses relieves stress because its effortless and fun.
Reach us at Relief@5SensesLab.com.