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Resolutions: Sensational Holiday – Experiencing the Season Through Five Senses
By Lisha Ross
Jingling bells, emerald firs, sugar, spice and everything nice; the holidays are all about the sweet crescendo of sensory experience. Millions of tiny receptors on and in our eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin send chemical signals to our brain where the information is compared to memories and interpreted. The mechanics are the same whether you’re 8 or 80, but as most of us get older our emotional response to sensory stimuli changes. We begin to associate the sound of holiday music piping through the department store speakers, not with awesome new toys, but with massive credit debt; the smell of baked goods with guilt about not making our own. Worse yet, after repeated stimulation we tend to lose or ignore those lovin’ feelings we get from truly indulging our senses.
This year, make a pact to rediscover the magic of the holidays by living through your basic senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. You did it without even thinking about it as a kid. The smell of fresh coffee wafting through the house on Christmas morning let you know it was time to open presents and sent you reeling ecstatically to the tree. That first taste of grandma’s home-made molasses cookies made you forget the world. The jingle of sleigh bells made you wonder, When will Santa be here? instead of, When will it ever end? You can reconnect with all those warm and fuzzies; you just have to take the initiative to slow down, relax, and take in the holidays one sensation at a time.
Santa’s Ol’ Factory
The human nose has 20 million smell receptors located in the limbic system and amygdala–the same part of the brain where emotions are born and memory is stored. That’s why simply getting a whiff of mom’s sage stuffing or baked cinnamon apples can easily stir up strong emotions and vivid memories of joyful childhood experiences in the kitchen. Let your nose lead you to good times gone by! Fill the house with fragrances, whether by baking or via scented candles and potpourri. When you sit down to a big meal, take a few moments before digging in to pull in the aroma. If the smell of pine gets you in the mood for caroling, stop by the tree each day for a good, long inhale. Not baking? Fill a sauce pan half full of water; add orange rinds, cinnamon sticks and some cloves and let it simmer, refilling with water as it evaporates. Find a fragrance that speaks to you and let it fill the air.
Touchy Feely
Though less is known about the connection between touch and emotion, research by Yale, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that what we touch can have subtle effects on our perception. Sitting in a hard chair, for example, or touching a rough jigsaw puzzle made test subjects more likely to perceive people and situations in a negative light. Of course the reverse is also true, and merely stroking a soft kitten or holding hands with the one you love can warm the hardest of hearts. Put it to the test yourself! Curl up in a velvety soft throw and cup your hands snuggly around a warm mug of hot cocoa to wind down from a long day of running holiday errands. Hug your family members a little longer than usual. Give the gift of massage to that special someone; you might discover that it’s just as pleasant for you at it is for them.
Sight for Sore Eyes
For children, the sights are what bring holiday whimsy into a tangible reality–the lights, the colorful presents, the miniature train set going round and round. As adults, by the time we get all the decorations out of storage, the lights untangled and the village assembled we’ve already lost the thrill of it all to exhaustion. How quickly we forget just how easily an aesthetically pleasing scene can get us in the mood for…whatever! Take some time to sit in your most lavishly decorated room and appreciate your handy work for what it is–a masterful work of art. Turn off the TV and dim the lights. Just sit quietly and adore the scene. Liven up your dining room table with seasonal flowers; add fanciful garnish to your serving platters; gaze at your bounty of food as you take in the aroma. Look at photographs from your favorite family album and notice how much the children have grown.
Sound Off…or On
You don’t need to know a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo to understand how much sound affects our mood. Loud noises are startling, sometimes upsetting. On the other hand, something as uplifting as laughter alone can put a smile on one’s face. Music has been known to stimulate and stir emotions, while singing is like a massage for the soul. Listen to holiday music, the old classics along with new favorites as you open up presents on Christmas morning. Sometimes even the childish songs from your youth can spark up warming nostalgia. Stop talking! Listen to the chatter. Watch a funny flick with the fam or play an exciting game of charades and as laughter rounds the room, close your eyes and just listen.
Tasty Tasty
The jury is in! Sweet foods and those hearty, comforting meals, in moderation, can improve mood and alleviate stress. All those taste buds send signals to the reward center of the brain and POOF! You’re smiling, happy and having a love affair with that peppermint chocolate truffle. Activate your sense of taste by chewing slowly; move it around your mouth and take note of the texture. Try to identify all the subtle flavors in all that you eat, whether it’s salt water taffy, wine, figgy pudding or mashed potatoes and gravy. Smell is intrinsically linked to your enjoyment of food. Try eating a piece of candy first by pinching your nose closed, then eat the same candy after taking in its sweet aroma–you’ll find the flavors all the more enticing.
Take some time to live, eat and breathe through your senses this holiday season. Relish in all those marvelous nuances you get to experience just once each year. You might find yourself walking in a winter wonderland, even when you’re stuck in a long line at the supermarket.
