Day 10 - Grounding in the Sense of Touch

We’ve had a couple of more challenging Joy activities lately, so here’s an easy one to do :)

Easy version:

Find a small favourite object, and hold it in your hand for 5 minutes. Sit peacefully with it. This might be harder than it sounds.

Less easy:

The same, but really notice the shape, texture, temperature (does it change the longer you hold the object?), colours (does the colour change in sunlight vs. shade or lamplight?). Consider why you chose this object. Why do you love it?

Why do this?

We’re back to grounding in our senses again - this time with the sense of touch. Nowadays, our brains are so constantly overactive and overstimulated that it’s exhausting. It might feel uncomfortable or even boring to sit still for five minutes and do “nothing”, but hopefully considering this small favourite object will give you a place to anchor your attention and let your mind rest a bit.

My personal choice:

This is a pebble that I picked up on the beach near where we used to live in Toronto. I picked it up in 2018, when I was developing an immersive art installation all about how to trigger your brain to feel calm and happy. Many people held this pebble while sitting in the installation (which I adapted about half a dozen times for different events and venues), and I like to think of the collective spirit of calm that it has helped to create. Plus, I love the concentric rings ;)
(If you’re interested in learning more about that immersive installation, the project was called The Serenity Experience, and you can read all about it - and even experience it virtually online - by clicking here. Some of you reading this may even been the very people who came and sat with me and shared this, and if that’s you: Thank You. It was one of the most special experiences of my life and certainly my art career, and that was largely because of the people who took the time to share it with me).

Ideas for sharing:

If you’re on social media, you can share a picture of your favourite little object. Add a quick description of the activity to encourage your friends and followers to try it too!

If you’re doing a “daily Joy texting” partnership with someone, send each other a quick text showing and/or describing your favourite little object.

Feel free to share a picture or description of your favourite small object by emailing me.