How Gretchen Rubin came to her senses, and why you should, too

Hello Monday?is LinkedIn News’ weekly career podcast hosted by me,?Jessi Hempel.?You’ll hear from thoughtful experts, authors and business leaders about the changing nature of work—and how that work is changing us. Each week, this newsletter shares learnings and practices connected to the conversations.?Subscribe to the show's newsletter?here. This week our guest is bestselling author?Gretchen Rubin.

Gretchen Rubin's Life in Five Senses: A Journey to Self-Awareness and Happier Living

A couple weeks ago, I was on a trip. I had some distance from the kids and a little more time than usual. I settled into a book about happiness, and found myself savoring it. The book called for us to use our five senses as tools for taking a step back and really internalizing each moment.

I think about how nearly every day I walk my son to school. I notice so little on this walk—about my surroundings, about him. It’s like I’m on autopilot. My attention is elsewhere. Or nowhere. This book actually left me with tools to be present with him. Today, we noticed together how many flowers are in bloom in Brooklyn: SO MANY. Of course, being fully present in every single moment is impossible, and we’re human. There’s always something popping up, work piling up, and constant sensory overstimulation. But I wonder, how can we put this meditative, intentional act of paying close attention into practice, in a way that can make us more present in the moments that really matter?

Today’s guest is Gretchen Ruben. She’s a writer, podcaster, and founder of The Happiness Project. Her new book Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

Gretchen emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and action in creating a happier life. She discusses how paying attention to our senses can help us actually feel the best moments of our lives. So why is this important? Well, it helps us slow down and be more intentional about the time we spend with loved ones. We don’t get a chance to re-do any moment. I don’t need to tell YOU that.

So listen to this week's episode here, or in the player below, and then jump into the conversation to tell us: what do you notice around you? What are your own senses telling you?

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