Smells Like Rain

As a kid I never understood what the adults meant when they said they could smell rain in the air. I was too busy exploring and taking everything in as brand new to notice something as mundane as a scent. Now, in my 40s, the smell of rain is as familiar to me as the aroma from my morning coffee.

As we get older, the world around us becomes less novel. We drive the same route to work, hit up the same grocery store for food, and plunk our butts onto the couch at the same time each day to watch whatever's streaming.

In a way, our minds are masters at finding efficiencies and conserving energy by doing so. On the other hand, less novelty means time is experienced much faster. One day blurring into the next. We're in Q4 of 2026. How did that happen? Wasn't COVID just last year?

Finding ways to let our senses take over brings back a hint of those days when every touch, whiff, sound, and taste was brand new. It brings us back to the present moment, slowing time and allowing the nervous system to take a break.

There are countless ways to do this but my fave is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 technique, which also happens to be used for anxiety relief. Here's how it works: Stop whatever you're doing and notice five things you see around you; acknowledge four things you can touch with your hands or feel on your skin; three sounds you can hear nearby; two things you can smell; and one taste in your mouth.

I love doing this outside for a more intense sensory experience, where I can pick out the striking blue colour of the cornflowers in my garden, take in the farm fresh scent of newly spread manure on the fields, and hear the peppy little chickadees chirping away.

Activating your senses throughout the day forces you to slow down and see, hear, feel, smell, and taste what's right in front of you. Something you'd never get from being on your laptop or phone. Since I'm literally typing this right now on a laptop, I'm sure you've guessed that I'm not someone who's willing to ditch my tech altogether. In fact, my corporate 9-5 keeps my fingers pretty much attached to the computer, as does my side business building websites and integrating AI for other businesses. It's being in nature and letting my senses run wild that allow me to hit the right balance of online and offline. Something I learned the hard way over the years.

You can be ambitious and feel pockets of relaxation throughout the day, I promise you. Just remember to stop and smell the rain.