Refocus your 5 senses and improve your writing
Touch – wood, fur, velvet, keyboard keys…they all feel extremely different and bring out different emotions. When is the last time you just let yourself enjoy the touch of something? When I am struggling with my work, I will take a moment and my computer to the couch, rather than my office chair. The comfortable seat, squishy pillows and silky texture gives my body and hands a new sensation to motivate me. On top of the feeling, it can also help to relax me and bring about a whole new perspective.
Sight – What do you look at every day? Walls? Windows? A picture of your significant other or maybe you don’t even notice… What your eyes take in feeds your mind, and creates motivation. If you are having trouble focusing on a task, or breaking through a mental block, try changing your view and see what new surroundings can do. Each day, I sit in a closet. Seriously. Our condo is small, so my office is actually the closet of the second bedroom converted by my hubby. So I stare at the back of a closet, and the photos of my hubby, my bridesmaids and me at the wedding and to the right, my to-do white board. As nice as I have made it, sometimes, I need a little different view. When that’s the case, I will either take my work outside, or just take a quick walk to jump-start my visualization.
Smell & Sound – Although these are very different senses, when I need motivation and a refresh, they are always accomplished in one fell swoop – at the beach! The noise of the waves, the birds and the people combined with the salty smell, my brain almost can’t handle the changes that it creates in my motivation. My favorite beaches to visit when I need some help? Either San Clemente or Dana Point.
Taste – I love coffee in the morning, every morning, at least 2 cups. It is my creative starter each morning. But some mornings, I need something different. Ice cold milk, hot chocolate, cranberry juice…something that will twist my taste-buds and hopefully feed my brain with a new idea and a new angle. If you are stuck somewhere and can’t get your brain out of neutral, try grabbing something to eat or drink that is out of the ordinary.
What sense motivates you the most when you change it up? Any places/tastes/sights/touches you prefer?
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