Gretchen Rubin’s Five-Senses Self-Portrait of self-experimentation, and exploring the mysteries and joys of the five senses.

“The more we notice, the more we can enjoy.”― Gretchen Rubin, Life in Five Senses.

Gretchen Rubin knows a thing or two about happiness. She’s the bestselling author of The Happiness Project, The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before, and so forth. She’s the voice behind the hit podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, where she teams up with her sister, Elizabeth Craft, to share practical tips for living a more joyful life.

Gretchen Rubin Life in Five Senses takes us on a personal journey of inspiration—sparked by a simple visit to the eye doctor, where she realized just how much she’d been tuning out the world around her. That aha moment led her to reconnect with her senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as a way to feel more grounded, present, and alive.

Here’s a peek at her daily five-senses rituals to help inspire your own mindful moments.

Enjoy!

Gretchen Rubin’s Five-Senses Self-Portrait Experiment.

Seeing

“See something once—really see it—and it never looks the same again.”
― Gretchen Rubin Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

1. Cloud reflected in the water at Central Park’s lake.
2. An orange traffic cone
3. The toothy cow grinning down from the stained-glass window in the Met museum.

1. A wall of library shelves crowded with books.
2. Jamie (her husband) asleep under a heap of covers in early morning light.

Hearing

“Our hearing anchors us in the world; it tells us what’s happening behind us, above us, in the dark, and before we’re born. Sound pumps me up, calms me down, and transforms my moods in just a few seconds.” ― Gretchen Rubin 

1. Eliza and Eleanor (her daughters) laughing at each other’s jokes.
2. Barnaby’s (the family dog) deep sigh after he curls up on his favorite blanket.
3. The faint clacking of fingers on a keyboard. 
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4. Elizabeth (her sister the sage) saying, “Okay, Gretch, it’s time for…” during a Happier recording.
5. The roar of the #6 subway train as it pulls into the station.

Smelling

Of the five senses, smell is the one with the best memory. —Rebecca McClanahan

1. Sharpie pens
2. Nighttime perfume
3. Black coffee 
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4. The Met’s hand sanitizer
5. Crushed lavender

Tasting

“Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s important that we give ourselves treats—which may sound self-indulgent or frivolous, but it’s not. When we give more to ourselves, we can ask more from ourselves. Treats help us to stick to challenging goals, resist unhealthy temptations, and shrug off small irritations. When we don’t get any treats, we can begin to feel burned-out, depleted, and resentful.”― Gretchen Rubin, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

1. Winstead’s triple burger (plain, no bun)

Diet Coke Eggs in many forms Almonds (she eats lots of them) Sugar-free cinnamon mints (she doesn’t eat sugar)

 Gretchen Rubin’s Five-Senses Self-Portrait

Touching

1. A heavy mug warmed by a hot drink
2. Plush terry cloth robe (Soft, comfortable bathrobes that keep you warmer.)
3. A “Family love sandwich” hug with Jamie, Eliza, and Eleanor
4. The almost imperceptible weight of contact lenses
5. Light wool fingertip-less gloves

Related post: Life in Five Senses: How exploring the senses got me out of my head and into the world by Gretchen Rubin. A Five Senses Jump-Start—Summary. Try This at Home: [Key Notes]

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Try This at Home:

Consider creating a five-senses portrait of your holidays. Identify the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch of all the things and experiences you associate with this time. What would you put on your list?

• Reflect on memories sparked by a sensation.
• Deepen a sense-experience through education.
• Create something inspired by a sense-experience.
• Indulge in a modest splurge to enjoy a sensation.
• Notice the ordinary.
• Identify a healthy treat.

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List of objects mentioned:

• Panel with the Nativity. Ca. 1440. Pot metal, white glass, vitreous paint, silver stain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
• The faint clacking of fingers on a keyboard
• Black coffee
• Winstead’s triple burger