When thinking about mental health, consider your environment and its impact on your mental well-being. Many individuals try to make significant changes in their environments without breaking things down to the level of their core perceptions: the five senses.
Your five senses help you experience your environment. Understanding how you can address each of them will help you boost your overall mental health. Consider these tips for connecting each sense with your mental health in a positive way.
Sight
What you see around you can significantly impact your mental health. For this reason, you should make your environment peaceful and pleasing to look at. Keeping things neat and tidy can help you feel calmer. You should also surround yourself with calming colors such as blues, purples, pinks, and soft yellows.
Sound
You cannot expect to only see calming things and boost your mental health. If you hear loud and obnoxious noises, you may feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. Therefore, filling your surroundings with pleasing music or a podcast can give you the sense of tranquility you are searching for. Whether you use headphones or a speaker, you are bound to enjoy the benefits.
Smell
Having pleasing smells can also boost your mental health and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Fragrances are available for you to use in your home, car, clothes, and more. Lavender, rosemary, vanilla, and cinnamon are recommended scents for fostering calm.
Taste
Having something pleasing to taste can also bring you pleasure and peace of mind. This does not mean you have to constantly eat your favorite foods. Instead, you can choose a flavor of gum or mints that brings you happiness. You can also keep a bottle of your favorite drink with you, such as flavored water, tea, or coffee.
Touch
Last but not least, what you can touch will boost your mental health. You can wrap yourself in a warm blanket, lay out and feel the sun on your skin, or embrace a loved one. No matter what kind of touch brings you happiness, try to seek it out to manage your mental health. When you are feeling down, you can do any of the tips listed to bring you peace.
Breaking down your five senses and seeing how they can help give you a new perspective on your mental health. Many individuals struggling with mental health become overwhelmed when they are told to change their environment to help themselves. However, breaking things down can make them seem less daunting. Using your five senses is an excellent way to do this. If you or a loved one need further help with substance use or mental health disorders, call the Detox Center of Colorado. Situated in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, we provide the perfect environment for healing. Call us today to learn more at (303) 952-5035.
