Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work & Life

Revisiting My Conversation with Gretchen Rubin on Discovering How To Live Life In Five Senses

Dec 25, 2023

59:58

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Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin discusses the principles in her book 'Life in Five Senses' which explores the power of tuning into the physical world for a happier, mindful life. She shares self-experiments involving the senses, from simple pleasures like appreciating ketchup to more adventurous efforts like trying ayahuasca. The conversation emphasizes the importance of stepping outside everyday anxieties and connecting with nature, our bodies, and the world around us.

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Quick takeaways

Connecting with our senses can help calm anxiety, spark creativity, and enhance our overall well-being.

Shaping our sensory environment according to our preferences and needs can improve productivity and mood.

Mindful tasting can lead to better food choices and a deeper enjoyment of flavors.

Deep dives

The Power of Appreciating the Five Senses

The podcast episode explores the transformative experience of appreciating the five senses. The host shares their personal journey of realizing the potential loss of their sense of sight and how it sparked a determination to explore and connect with their senses more deeply. The episode discusses the value of sensory perception in calming anxiety, sparking creativity, connecting with others, and preserving memories. It also highlights how shaping our sensory environment can enhance our productivity and overall well-being.

Introduction

5min

Exploring the Senses and the Enneagram

10min

Analog versus Digital: Enhancing Sensory Experiences with Technology

13min

Enhancing Productivity and Streamlining Workflows with Miro, Shopify, and Service Cloud

3min

Changing Eating Habits and Controlling Sweet Tooth

3min

Acclimation and Sensory Experiences

9min

Exploring the Sense of Taste

16min

As we wrap up 2023 I wanted to revisit a few conversations over the next two weeks that impacted me most this past year. This week I’m delighted to revisit a really powerful talk with author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin. The Holiday and New Years season can bring with it a good deal of stress and anxiety and this conversation reminds us of the importance of stepping outside our everyday anxieties by truly connecting with nature, our bodies, and the world around us. In this chat we unpack many of the principles contained within her book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

In LIFE IN FIVE SENSES Gretchen’s revelatory journey of self-experimentation, she explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life. Drawing on cutting-edge science, philosophy, literature, and her own efforts to practice what she learns, she investigates the profound power of tuning into the physical world. From the simple pleasures of appreciating the magic of ketchup and adding favorite songs to a playlist, to more adventurous efforts like creating a daily ritual of visiting the Met and trying ayahuasca, Rubin shows us how to experience each day with depth, delight, and connection. In the rush of daily life, she finds, our five senses offer us an immediate, sustainable way to cheer up, calm down, and engage the world around us—as well as a way to glimpse the soul and touch the transcendent.

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm; The Four Tendencies; Better Than Before; and The Happiness Project. Her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. She hosts the top-ranking, award-winning podcast “Happier with Gretchen Rubin,” where she explores practical solutions for living a happier life. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

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