Gretchen Rubin on: How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships

About this episode

<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p><em>---</em></p> <p>Today's guest is a happiness expert and devout non-meditator. In her latest book <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Life-Five-Senses-Exploring-World/dp/0593442741" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World</em></a>, she describes how a routine visit to her eye doctor made her realize she'd been overlooking a key element of happiness: her five senses. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>Gretchen Rubin is the author of many books, including the New York Times bestsellers <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Outer-Order-Inner-Calm-Declutter/dp/1984822802" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Outer Order, Inner Calm</em></a>; <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Four-Tendencies-Indispensable-Personality-Profiles/dp/1524760919" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Four Tendencies</em></a>; <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Before-Habits-Procrastinate/dp/0385348630" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Better Than Before</em></a>; and <a href= "https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwimua-Z4pX-AhWh9uMHHaX8A_0YABAAGgJ5bQ&ase=2&sig=AOD64_3tRWm_Pc_oLCJqDDSKq6b6_H-1tg&q&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwiPv6aZ4pX-AhUFMVkFHQUPDVgQ0Qx6BAgGEAM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Happiness Project</em></a>. Her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, and have been translated in more than thirty languages. She also hosts the top-ranking, award-winning podcast <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happier-with-gretchen-rubin/id969519520" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Happier with Gretchen Rubin</a>. </p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <p><br /></p> <ul> <li>What led Gretchen to explore the five senses</li> <li>How we often take our senses for granted</li> <li>How our senses work with the brain to impact our perception </li> <li>The relationship between the senses and nostalgia </li> <li>The surprising power of ketchup and vanilla when it comes to the sense of taste</li> <li>The sense of hearing and what she calls her "Audio Apothecary" </li> <li>How to be a better listener</li> <li>The interplay between the senses of taste and smell</li> <li>The sense of touch and the use of comfort objects   </li> <li>Why she decided to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art everyday to explore the five senses</li> <li>And how she uses the five senses to boost creativity  </li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href= "https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/gretchen-rubin-588" rel="noopener noreferrer" target= "_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/gretchen-rubin-588</a></p>