Therapy By Senses

Because I have Attention Deficit Disorder, I tend to get overwhelmed
by too much stimulation to my senses.

So I came up with ways to "nurture" myself, and give my senses a break, by concentrating on just one at a time. 

This is my "Therapy By Senses":


Sound

      Listen CD's or tapes of environmental sounds.
      Laugh! Watch a comedy movie.
      Listen to a ballet and dance.
      Sit in your backyard or in a park and listen to the birds.
      Sing as loud as you can to the radio in your car.
      Go to a symphony orchestra performance.
      Listen to someone talk to you without worrying about what you will say.
      Listen to books on tape while walking, driving, resting.
      Listen to music of one instrument, such as cello or harp or piano.
      Borrow music CD's of symphonies.
      Go to concerts of various music genres.
      Hang up wind chimes, inside and out... it creates positive qi
around you.
      Invest in a tabletop fountain.

Sight

      Watch tropical fish swim in a home aquarium.
      Watch for a shooting star.
      Walk thru a garden in full bloom.
      Watch a candle flame.
      Watch ocean waves ebb and tide.
      Gaze at the full moon.
      Look for the first sign of spring; the first robin, crocus, etc.
      Paint with watercolors, oils, acrylics.
      Watch a sunrise.
      Watch a sunset.
      Go to an art museum.
      Take pictures of things, not people. Try using black and white
film.
      Look at something, really look at it for the first time.
      Buy paints in the primary colors ... what new shades can you make?
      Put on different kinds of music and paint to the music.
      Rest with cucumber slices or wet tea bags on your eyes.
      Do an eye-wash.
      Watch a baby, or a kitten, or puppy move.
      Lie on the grass and watch the shapes that clouds make.

Touch

      Make an adult tactile patchwork blanket, using soft fabrics in your favorite colors. Cuddle up in it.
      Make a collage using assorted textures of paper, fabric, natural
items.
      Use various grades of sandpaper, sand a piece of wood smooth.
      Walking barefoot on a sandy beach.
      Have a snowball fight.
      Have a snowball fight in the middle of the summer. (in the winter, make snowballs and store them in your freezer until a hot day in July)
      Get a hot paraffin wax dip treatment on hands and/or feet.
      Learn American Sign Language.
      Carve and whittle a walking stick.
      Go ice skating, especially on a hot day.
      Get a body piercing and/or a tattoo.
      Try mehendi henna temporary tattoos.
      Try body painting, glitter gels, rhinestones and jewels glued on.
      Learn to play an instrument; piano, harp, guitar, that uses your
fingers.
      Make love.
      Do yoga and tai chi, see how it increases your personal chi (qi).
      Paint your toenails and fingernails with colorful nail polishes.
      Run, walk, swim, move….. Notice how it makes you feel.
      Pet a cat or a dog.
      Do some hands-on crafts; claywork, ceramics, pottery.
      Get an acupuncture treatment.
      Plant seeds in the earth.
      Cuddle up in a warm pair of flannel pajamas, under a soft blanket before a roaring fire on a cold night.
      Receive a Lymph drainage massage:
      Enjoy the feel of doing needlework; hand-quilting, crocheting,
cross stitch, embroidery, beadwork, needlepoint, lacemaking,
weaving.
      Buy a soft sweater or blouse and wear it right next to your skin.
      Enjoy the smooth feel of your legs just after shaving them and
smoothing on lotion.
      Do some messy childhood tactile arts; playdough, fingerpaints,
mudpies….
      Hanging wet laundry on an old-fashioned clothesline, and then
folding the crisp dry clothes later.
      A hot bath with lots of soft bubbles
      Hug a big, soft, plush teddy bear.
      Dance; take classes in ballet, modern, hip hop, lyrical, tap,
belly-dancing, square dancing, western line dancing, ballroom, salsa.
      Walk in the rain without an umbrella.
      Smooth on a soft body lotion, on arms, legs, feet, hands....
      Get a massage, AND a facial, AND foot reflexology.
      Buy new sheets
      Play with a Relaxing Rice Box: Color raw rice with a few drops of one color of food coloring and a few drops of desired essential oil. Let sit and dry. Store in a low wooden box. This rice is very relaxing to play with, sift thru your fingers, fill small silver or wooden cups, pour out. Revert back to childhood.
      Trace a long a finger labyrinth
      Take a hot steamy shower.
      Give and get lots of hugs.
      Sit outside and feel the warmth of the sun on your face.
      Learn to read Braille.

Scent

      Invest in a good aromatherapy book and some essential oils; such as lavender and orange or grapefruit. Lavender relaxes you, citrus
energizes.
      Make aromatherapy playdough.
      Smell the air just after a big rain storm.
      Add essential oils to terracotta scent stones:
      Use lavender essential oil spray on your pillow at night to promote sleep.
      Do steam-inhalation to clear out your sinuses.
      Use clary sage and eucalyptus to help with sinus problems. Put both in a steaming bowl of water and use a towel as a tent over your head.
      Shop for scents: walk into a bakery, to Starbucks, a fishmarket,
etc
      Fill the burner bowl with warm water, essential oil and light the candle.
      Place essential oil onto a warm, filled bath and relax.
      Add about three drops of your favorite Synergy blend to sweet
almond oil for a massage.
      Add 20 drops of essential oil to 4 ounces of water in a spray
bottle. Spray throughout the house.
      Make or buy potpourri and put around your house to gently scent the room.
      Add essential oil directly to the vacuum cleaner bag before
vacuuming.
      Put 5 drops of your favorite fragrance in with the clothes wash.
Especially nice for lingerie.
      Wear your favorite essential oil in a special aromatherapy necklace
      Make a pot of hot simmering soup rich with beef broth, vegetables and herbs.
      Rice Healing Pillows: Use tea towels or a large wash cloth. Sew
them up on three sides and fill with rice and herbs.
      Buy flowers for their scent.
      Make citrus fruit pomanders with whole cloves.
      Make scented sachets for your drawers and closets.
      Plant scented geraniums around your front door.
      Buy a new perfume, and perhaps the bath products to go with it
      Burn some incense and meditate
      Grow a fragrant herb garden
      Make homemade scented soaps and candles.

Taste

      Drink clear clean water, and think about the taste
      Do tastings. You've heard of wine, cheese, and beer tastings... how about chocolate, nuts, exotic fruits...
      Hot chocolate chip cookies and ice cold milk
      Eat a pint of your favorite ice cream directly out of the carton
without a shred of guilt
      Eat a roasted hot dog at the beach or at a baseball game.
      The taste of kissing someone after drinking a glass of wine.
      Sautéed garlic and onions in anything.
      Fresh hot bread with extra-virgin olive oil
      The rich tender taste of a delicious prime rib.
      Fresh strawberries, raspberries and cherries
      Catch snowflakes on your tongue
      Get your teeth cleaned at the dentist
      Eat a cold crisp apple
      Make a pot of loose tea and drink with lemon and real sugar cubes.