A look at how managing the ‘load’ on your senses can prove beneficial

Have you ever wondered about the acute sense of touch and hearing in blind people?Some people point out  that being blind helps them to develop their other senses to be more ‘aware’.

Being able to perceive situations and look at the unknown among the myriad of possibilities is key to unlocking your creativity but sometimes due to constant exposure to distractions, we increasingly find it difficult to focus on the substance of issues and our ability to think and create is affected greatly.

Digital detox is one of the ways suggested to re-awaken the senses.While doing a digital detox definitely has merits,there are other ways in which you can hone your senses to achieve a heightened sense of awareness.Sometimes,noticing that one extra detail is what results in creative ideas.Here are some of the ways in which you can re-configure your senses.

1)Limiting Visual Input : Say,you have read the book The Wizard of Oz. After reading the book,you etch the characters in your mind according to certain pre-conceptions or your current knowledge level.But then,you see a movie where a witch is physically depicted in a certain way.The next time you read a book,you will automatically think about a witch as having a hooked nose (unless the description says otherwise).Too much of TV,movies, video games,smartphones etc can impair our ability to think for ourselves as we constantly get bombarded with images and our “mind’s eye” has a hard time coming up with something original.(Did you know that Daydreaming 10 min a day enhances visualization capabilities?)

2)Limiting auditory input : If you are one of those that like to be wired always i.e Headphones ON always or whenever they move from one activity to another,you need to take a break..Nowadays,most music players have provisions to create your own playlist and some people mix and match several genres while creating their personalized playlist.This will force your mind to adjust a lot but overdoing or doing it for a prolonged period of time,will impair your ability t to  “tunnel -vision” which is essential for certain tasks.(For people in the music industry,Music is the main focus but several musicians sometime take time off of their music to help reinvent themselves.)

3)Limit your speech :You might have noticed that sometimes keeping quiet has its benefits in increasing your productivity(“Talk less,DO More”).Well,when you stop speaking your mind is free to be utilized for other activities .(I am talking about reducing idle speech here).  

4)Intermittent Fasting : Fasting helps you become mentally active and makes your healthier overall .If you do get a copy of Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon,make sure you read it cover to cover (it is not a big book) to understand the significance of including fasting in your daily lives. (Please note I am not being paid to promote the book,I am just sharing my experience)

So there it is… 4 tips to help you sharpen your senses and to stop yourself from getting bogged down.The key to implementing these tips is to understand that first you need to identify which of your senses is being overworked and give that particular ‘sense’ a break.For example,if you are relatively quiet,there is no point in becoming more quiet.Stopping to fine-tune your senses by modulating exposure is more doable for people who are finding it difficult to do a “digital detox” straightaway.

Let me know what you think in the comments section.

Photo Credit: jaymantri.com