Sensory Immersion: Summer’s Unexpected Gift
It’s often been said that, if we’re lucky, we’ll gleefully experience at least 80 summers in this lifetime.
As quickly as the warmer months rush upon us, it merely takes a blink of an eye and we’re being ushered into the crisp autumn season.
The days seem shorter.
Carefree moments drenched in nature’s spotlight suddenly become memories shrouded in the common rush to get to “the next thing”.
When did we make living such a chore?
I’m speaking to us.
Women.
The sacred keepers of treasures.
In our wombs.
In our minds.
In our souls.
Our bodies became inherently aware of life’s brevity from that riveting opening act when we drew our first breaths.
And somehow, we’ve always been conditioned to nestle our whole selves into fractional time capsules, hurriedly exploring the global masterpiece that we call home.
This is my invitation to slow down.
To bid the summer farewell with a few simple pleasures lingering in your pocketed sundresses.
Let’s gradually release ourselves from the burden of the superwoman psyche.
I’ll name the obvious conclusion aloud.
Aging gracefully has introduced me to the impact of sensory overload and the importance of sensory immersion.
And we just may miss the latter during peak summer hours if we don’t ground our experiences with joy and intention.
Grace Tworek, PsyD, succinctly explained the nuances of sensory overload to the Cleveland Clinic. “Sensory overload happens when input from any of your senses — sight, sound, taste, smell — feel overwhelming and trigger a physiological response,” Dr. Tworek explains. “It’s your sympathetic nervous system letting you know that something is up.”
My personal observation, while reading her assessments, was that it seems like the responses to sensory overload are as varied as our fingerprints.
“When your body’s alarm system starts to go off after being triggered, it can feel different for different people,” Dr. Tworek explains. “It can feel like your brain is on a hamster wheel, just running away from whatever it is that you’re experiencing,” she illustrates, “and your body is responding to that. Once those senses are triggered, it almost feels like the ball starts rolling and it becomes a snowball effect,” she continues. “It grows and grows until it becomes overwhelming.”
The manifestation of these physiological reactions may be as minor as sweaty palms to a full-fledged panic attack.
But how is this connected to the summer?
There is no greater time of the year – except for Christmas – when crowds converge in public spaces to absorb the sights and sounds of meaningful events.
So, while taking coveted girls trips replete with yacht excursions and luxury shopping tours may tickle the fancies of many women, there is another segment of the population who may respectfully decline.
They are called introverts.
While they may embody genuine appreciation for all things posh and pampering, those amenities would perhaps be more graciously accepted in smaller, manageable doses.
Herein lies the key to our hearts: the science of sensory immersion.
We know that everything isn’t for everyone.
However, each person can find their proverbial “sweet spot” with this methodology.
And yes, a woman is the powerhouse behind this groundbreaking discovery.
Melissa Bernstein is the co-founder of a multi-million-dollar toy conglomerate with her husband, Doug. Together, they’ve focused on streamlining joy for their young base. When Melissa reached middle age, she had an awakening and a deep awareness of the need to reinvent herself to discover her purpose. The enterprising woman found herself in a mental fog, grasping for clarity that was clouded by a condition called existential despair. After delving into comprehensive therapy and taking daily nature walks, she started creating holistic aromatherapy oils and companion journals to take people out of their heads and help them to thrive from all five of their senses.
And the rest is history.
While this is one woman’s story, it may serve as a muse to us all.
Each of us has been given instinctive desires that hold the keys to our overall well-being.
It’s worth the distance to travel outside of our own heads and carve out space to maximize every gift that makes us unique.
And it’s literally right at our fingertips.
Through the spectacular sights of this world.
To the sonorous melodies of waterfalls synchronized with our heartbeats.
To the exotic cuisine that playfully dances on our tastebuds.
To the feeling of the earth blooming beneath your feet.
To the fragrances of hibiscus and jasmine bursting through the horizon without asking for permission.
It’s our precious gift.
Don’t limit it to a season.
It’s a lifetime guarantee.
Imani Brooks-Wheeler is a C-Suite strategist, Speaker, and Spiritual Care Advisor & Mediator for High-Net-Worth individuals. Explore more about her powerful journey at www.ImaniBrooksWheeler.com.