STAY ALERT, PERCEIVE!

Being aware, alert, conscious or present in the here and now are just another way of saying be perceptive.

That is?

Perception is the organisation, identification and interpretation of the stimuli of the environment. It is responsible for identifying and making sense of the information received from our senses, based on our knowledge of the world. But perception is not only the passive receipt of these signals, on the contrary, it is also shaped by the recipient's learning, knowledge, memory, expectation, and attention.

This natural skill, though, can fade for various reasons – such as stress, having been “at home” for too long, or having to go back to work after a long time, to name just a few – negatively affecting different aspects of our life.

There are six types of perception. Briefly:

?? Visual perception. The ability to interpret the information that reaches the eyes: using light in the visible spectrum reflected by the objects.

?? Auditory perception. The ability to receive and interpret information that reaches our ears, through frequency waves.

 ?? Haptic perception. The process of recognising objects through touch.

 ??  Gustation. The ability to perceive the flavour of substances (not just food!).

 ??  Olfaction. Smell is the process of absorbing molecules through olfactory organs.

 ??????????? Social perception. The part of perception that allows people to understand the individuals and groups of their social world. 

Over the years, I’ve attended a (wonderful!) three-year course in Theatretherapy and several counselling workshops, where I learnt many perception activities. These can help refine our senses, so that our daily lives and tasks can be improved and made more aware.

Whether you’re staying alert by staying at home or by leaving the house, I’d like to pass you two different perception activities, which will make you experience the ol’ world you’re bored of or the ol’ world you don’t recognise anymore as your loving, playful, welcoming home.

STAYING ALERT BY STAYING AT HOME

During this pandemic, I bet many of us have said things like ‘I know my house by heart by now, I could go blindfolded’. But, do you?

The other day my partner and I were saying exactly the same, so I did the following exercise with him – but I often do it on my own, too.

- As we were sat in the kitchen, I didn’t ask him to pick a room in the house, but only to pick a precise spot in the kitchen. A spot where he felt confident he was in control of his body as well as of the room. Standing or sitting, it didn’t matter, as long as he felt relaxed.

- Then, I asked him to take a good look of the kitchen: to open his senses and try and experience the room with all of them. To feel the room.

- Once ready, I asked him to close his eyes and to relax. Thinking “I breathe in” and “I breathe out” accordingly help focus on the breathing only.

- After a couple of minutes, I asked him things like:

* Point at 3 different red things; be precise; tell me what they are, too.

* How many fridge magnets have we got and what are they?

* What’s the tiniest thing we have in the room and where it is?

* I moved the garlic pot and asked him: where’s the garlic, right now?

- Try and ask questions regarding all five senses, but initially you can focus on the sight only, if it helps.

This is a very simple but powerful exercise, which can be done alone or in a group, at home or outside. There’s no failure involved: it doesn’t matter if we got something wrong, it matters to be aware and to be willing to improve.

STAYING ALERT BY LEAVING THE HOUSE

Nearly everywhere in the world, for four or five specific, important reasons, we’re now allowed to leave the house. The world may seem the same ol’ same ol’ for some and a different kettle of fish for others.

A perception activity can help us fit again in the outside-the-house environment, look at things with a different pair of eyes or it will, at least, alleviate our anxiety.

Let’s say you’re leaving the house to go to the park:

- On your way there (walking, by bus or driving, it doesn’t matter), focus only on what you perceive with all your five senses. Nothing else: no food shopping lists, not chores, nothing. And breathe. Think “I breathe in” and “I breathe out” accordingly, if it helps.

- To help focussing on the senses, you can ask yourself things like:

* Look at nearby things.

* Look at distant things.

* Focus on sounds and noises.

* “Observe” by touching.

* “Observe” by smelling.

* “Observe” by tasting (if possible).

- Keep your eyes open. Peel your ears. Stretch out. Be aware. You can “isolate” the senses or play with more than one sense at the time. Enjoy the activity.

- Once at the park, pick a nice spot, walk slowly to the destination and, once there, relax through the breathing exercise. You can sit or stand, it doesn’t matter, I’ve done and enjoy both. If you like, close your eyes for a little while, to adjust to the new place and keep relaxed and tuned.

- From your spot, familiarise with the park by asking yourself questions similar to the previous ones, or adding details like:

* Where are the greenest bushes?

* What’s the strongest smell?

* How far have I walked from the entrance?

- Play with yourself and learn. No failures involved: we’re all winner! Afterwards, you can have a sip of water or wash your face and hands to mark the end of the practice.

I love this exercise, it helps me feel at home everywhere I go or come back. As before, it can be done alone or in a group.

So, how does it sound, this new world? And how does it look?

Lucia Morciano