Just take a moment to notice everything around you with all five of your senses: touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight.

Action Steps: Begin to notice what’s around you. Answer the following questions:

1. What am I tasting right now? Is it bitter, sweet, salty? (Bitter and salty usually indicate we are under some kind of stress; sweet is a sign that we are relaxed and calm.)

2. What am I smelling right now? Is it clean, crisp, perfume or pine, several scents and odors at once?

3. What am I seeing right now? Notice the four walls around you, their color, any images or artwork on the walls; notice the windows, the people, your own clothes, how and where you are sitting.

4. What am I feeling right now? What is literally beneath my fingers? Maybe I am touching the slightly rough texture of denim or running my hands through my hair, which feels soft. Notice.

5. What am I hearing right now? Children playing outside, music on the stereo, voices down the hall, my own breathing, or my cat purring.

When you can take a moment, using all five of your senses, to really be present, you drop out of stress mode, and right into this very moment.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.