We can engage with our 5 senses to bring down our levels of stress, in different ways.

Touch

The sense of touch is the easiest and fastest part of your body to engage with as our skin is the largest organ of the body and is incredibly sensitive to external stimulus.

There are many ways that we can use touch to unwind. Some obvious examples are taking a bath to relax our muscles and bring warmth. Stretching our muscles can also be very relaxing so doing yoga is a great method to regulate stress. Sitting in the sun or wearing comfortable clothing is also helpful.

Some people will find different textures more comfortable than others so experimenting with sense of touch against different materials is helpful for people to work out what most works for them.

While some people like to relax their body and feel light/weightless to unwind, other may prefer to exert their body through exercise or be given tight hug or perhaps use a weighted blanket which would then help them to feel like they are secure.

A hug or a weighted blanket puts pressure on the body, putting your autonomic nervous system into “rest” mode.  It reduces some of the symptoms of anxiety by reducing a quickened heart rate or breathing.

Smell

Aromatherapy is a highly recommended technique for people dealing with a variation for mental illnesses such as depression, PTSD, anxieties and problems with sleep.

Aromas can be helpful in managing stress levels and this has been proven in clinical studies. Patients of studies were shown to sleep better after smelling the aroma of lavender. Essential oils are used by many people to manage their feeling of stress and anxiety. Vanilla and Bergamot are two other scents proven to have calming effects.

Furthermore, a familiar smell can bring people comfort and some examples of those smells are their own brand of detergent, a personal scent such as perfume or shampoo used by them or a smell that is associated with good memories.  I feel comfort when unloading my clean laundry and stepping into fresh air. As I’m quite easily overwhelmed by some smells, it brings me comfort to smell my own perfume on my clothing.

Taste

Taste is a more difficult sense to engage with because it is so sensitive, and all foods and drinks can cause different reactions for different people and some of those can be stressful.