Notice the World Around You

Our five senses help us to interpret the world around us and make meaning of our experiences, but how aware are we of what is really going on around us? Our brains have developed an unconscious decision-making system so that we can do routine tasks without being overloaded. When we are busy we often switch into this unconscious thinking, like being on autopilot, where we have little awareness of what we are doing, e.g. arriving somewhere and wondering how we got there!

When we focus our attention and tune into our senses, we become more awake and more aware of our thoughts and actions. This is especially important in the digital, multi-tasking culture that we live in where there are so many distractions.

When we tune into our senses, we are more able to develop our attentional skills and in turn, help children tune into their senses to truly take notice and help them experience what is extraordinary about the ordinary, e.g. stopping to notice the change in colour of the leaves, the spider web glistening in the sun.

Mindful Listening

Helps us choose which sounds to focus our attention on and helps us to be thoughtful in the way we hear and respond to others.

Mindful Seeing

Enables us to observe our world with curiosity, regardless of how familiar we are with our surroundings; there is always more to see and learn.

Mindful Smelling

Helps us become more aware of our environment and sharpen our memory. Smells often trigger the recall of memories as the smell and memory centres in the brain are close to each other.

Mindful Tasting

Helps us fully appreciate the food we eat, slowing down to savour the taste and texture.

Mindful Movement

Becoming aware of sensations in the body is a fundamental step in increasing mindful awareness. Mindful movement helps us deepen our brain and body connection.