[To watch a video of this post please follow this link: https://youtu.be/hElENdkdPXU]

In one sense, everything you see is irresistibly powerful in stimulating a feeling.

In another sense, everything you hear is equally powerful in triggering a mood.

In yet another sense, everything you smell is particularly powerful in causing you to recall the memories of where else you have noticed that scent – and the way you felt about that experience.

Yes, you guessed it – the same is true for the senses of taste and touch.

Every sensory stimulus stimulates your memory recall – not just for the associated events themselves but also the way we felt – and still feel – about each experience.

Experience and emotion are inextricably linked in our memories – otherwise we couldn't make sense of fresh stimuli. We understand each new moment by referencing how we felt about such matters in the past.

Herein lies an enormous opportunity for mood-boosting. How so? Well, you and I know what sights, images, movies, and pictures seem to make us feel good, don't we? If I watch, "Mama Mia!" I can pretty much guarantee I'm going to feel good. You've got a list of movies that will do that kind service for you too, I'm sure.

Whenever the scent of freshly mown grass reaches me, I feel refreshed and reinvigorated.

The sound of laughter works its mood-boosting magic deep down in my soul.

I love the texture on the bark of Prunus Serrula Tibetica – the Tibetan Cherry Tree. It is the smoothest, silkiest bark I've ever touched. In turn, the bark of this Cherry Tree reminds me of rubbing plasticine on the Formica table-tops at infant school and then putting the smooth surface to my lips. Does applying lipstick do that for some of us?

...and, finally, for me, the taste of crispy salmon sushi from Waitrose transports my taste buds into an elevated state of avocado-enhanced-consciousness!

Here's the opportunity. Three of my five mood-boosting sensory experiences are within my ability to deliberately seek out and enjoy. The grass, I may need to wait for! Laughter, I'm pretty sure I can find too. This means that I could purposefully elevate my mood this season with very little effort. Frankly, the effort to seek out these stimuli would be pleasant in and of itself.

I don't have to wait to see where my moods take me – I can switch them on for myself.

My warm invitation to you all today is to share one example of each sensory stimulus that lifts your spirit. One example of something you see, one of something you listen to, one scent, something you can touch, and one thing you taste that works its magic on you.

My belief is that we will piggy-back on your own delight when we imagine for ourselves what it would be like to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the same things you.

Give yourself the gift of a mood-boost (or five) and share that gift freely with us!

Lex

A Moodscope member.