Managing Stress through the Five Senses

The Art of Calm is attained by soothing the five senses and bringing the body back into homeostasis and out of fight or flight mode. There are a few scientifically proven ways to do this through the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. One Google search on "how to calm the body through the five senses" reveals a plethora of blogs, products, opinions, research, and even science-backed documentation. Many of these are great ideas and can easily be implemented when you feel overwhelmed by stress during your day.

Sight is one of our main ways of interpreting the world around us. Our vision is constantly flooded with information; we have split seconds to determine whether we want to accept or ignore it. We rely mainly on sight to assess our environment and function in the world. "Approximately 70 percent of sensory information is processed through our eyes. The ears garner another 20 percent, and the other three senses take in the remaining 10 percent"(Seaward, pg 226, 2021). Many studies show that you can help restore peace of mind through sight. In one 30-year study, it was recorded that "viewing images of natural landscapes, whether presented as 2D photographs, or virtual reality (VR) scenes, resulted in restorative effects, such as deactivating visual and attentional areas of the brain, reducing eye blinking and relieving stress"(Jo, 2019). It's important to understand that walking in nature, spending time on the beach, or taking in a beautiful landscape is healing, refreshing, and calming, with many other benefits that can be powerful in relieving stress. However, our mind's eye is just as powerful as a fresh nature walk outside. Even staring at a photograph promoting happy memories of a moment in time evokes a sense of happiness and peace. Memory lane can be very powerful in relieving stress.

Sound is another form of calming the body. One of the most potent ways sound therapy works is to close the eyes and block out all visibility. Sound is also vibration; many ancient cultures used some form of instrumental sound, from flute to drums, to perform healing ceremonies. "All living things are affected by sound vibrations; Music is the most obvious means to use vibrations to promote feelings of tranquility"(Seaward, pg. 270, 2021). In other words, sound is energy, and energy is a live frequency that influences how you feel and think. Countless studies have been done on frequency and its healing powers. "The Schumann resonance, which is 7.8 hertz (Hz), is calculated by multiplying the circumference of the earth by its electromagnetic field... which is the same frequency detected in many sounds in nature such as whale and dolphin songs and waterfall"(Seaward, pg 271, 2021). Sound frequency is all around us in our everyday life and nature.

Some would say that today's popular music is causing disease because it is not tuned to a healing frequency. However, finding familiar songs can provide a haven of fond memories and comfort in times of stress or anxiety. "Other potential benefits of preferred music include fostering a sense of safety, enhancing engagement, and reducing stress"(Bowling, 2023). It is recommended to listen to music that does not have lyrics. Music with words tends to allow the the analytical side of the brain to take over and create stories based on the words it hears, whereas instrumental songs will enable the mind to relax and calm down without fostering thoughts. Instrumental music can include a calming flute, cello, piano, harp, drum, singing bowls, or guitar. Nature sounds, classical, jazz, new age, and lifestyle music are all examples of calming music that can be a soothing balm for the mind, body, and soul.

Touch is essential to relieving stress. It is well-documented that a simple hug can reduce stress, increase oxytocin, the love hormone, and decrease cortisol, the stress hormone. We need at least 12 daily hugs from a spouse, child, friend, or animal. Research done on cats and dogs has shown that the simple touch of a feline or canine friend can decrease blood pressure, increase oxytocin, slow heart rate, and boost overall feelings of well-being. "Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood"(Wein, 2018). Pets are an excellent way to relieve stress because they want to always be near us.

Another form of touch that dates back to ancient times is massage therapy. Massage therapy has been clinically proven to bring the body back into homeostasis and out of fight or flight mode. "Massage can lower stress levels and feelings of anxiety. It can improve mood and relaxation while increasing confidence and self-image"(Marsolek, 2022). Infants and up can receive massages and benefit from the soothing and gentle touch.

Taste and smell can be linked because one affects the other. We discovered this during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people were affected by losing their sense of smell, which caused people to taste things differently. The study of aromatherapy helped, and a proper combination of targeted essential oils helped people regain their sense of smell and taste. Numerous studies show the healing benefits of smell in savory foods, essential oils, flowers, nature, spices, and herbs. All can be smelled or tasted to induce feelings of calmness. "Flower scents (e.g., roses, star lilies, orchids), as well as many herbs (e.g., peppermint, rosemary, all-spice), can diffuse the meanest temper. For some, pine trees hold the same properties, as does the smell of the ocean, and of course, most everyone's attentions are swayed by a wide selection of food scents"(Seaward, pg. 227, 2021). It's called comfort food for a reason. The familiar smells invoke memories of childhood or special events that can be calming to the soul.

There is a lot of research on how stimulating the five senses can help the mind, body, and soul come into alignment and out of fight-or-flight mode. Still, it all boils down to finding what comforts you and diving into those stress management modalities. For me, it is about guided visual meditations in my favorite chair each morning that involves deep breathing, frequency healing, visualization, LapCat therapy, and guided self-hypnosis. Here is a guided meditation that I use regularly that helps with visualization activating the five senses. 

Reference

Bowling, D.L. (2024) Biological principles for music and mental health. https://

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10695969/

Jo, H., Song, C., Miyazaki, Y. (2019) Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic

Review of Indoor Experiments. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6926748/

Marsolek, A. (2022) Can massage relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress? Mayo

Clinic. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/

massage-for-depression-anxiety-and-stress

Seaward, B.L. (2021) Essentials of Managing Stress [5th Edition], Jones & Bartlett Learning,

LLC. Burlington MA.

Wein, H. (2018) PThe Power of Pets Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions. https://

newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets#:~:text=Interacting with animals has

been,support, and boost your mood.

YouTube

Andrews, J (2021) https://youtu.be/vQXEfmlCkns?si=gh7_W25cJgb1xyPc