Sensory Scavenger Hunt by Julie Bjelland, LMFT

Intentionally observing our sensory experiences can be a wonderful mindfulness grounding activity, promoting a sense of calm and a deep connection to nature.  Here's a fun way to practice mindfulness! Would love to hear your experience in the comments!  ❤️

Objective: To engage all your senses while exploring and appreciating the beauty of nature.

Materials:

• A notebook and pen/pencil

• A snack, drink or picnic, or anything edible from your garden!

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Water bottle

• A small bag or basket for collecting items

Instructions:

1. Choose a natural location to explore, such as a park, forest, beach, or nature trail.

2. Before you begin, take a moment to clear your mind and focus on the present moment. Breathe deeply and allow yourself to become fully immersed in your surroundings.

3. As you begin your walk, engage your senses one by one. Start with your sense of sight and take a few moments to appreciate the colors, textures, and patterns around you. Look up, down, and all around to fully take in your surroundings.

4. Next, focus on your sense of smell. Take deep breaths and notice the different scents in the air. Can you smell fresh flowers, pine needles, or the salty ocean breeze?

5. Use your sense of touch to explore your surroundings. Feel the rough bark of a tree, the smooth texture of a pebble, or the softness of moss on a rock.

6. Engage your sense of hearing and listen carefully to the sounds of nature around you. Can you hear birds chirping, leaves rustling, or water flowing?

7. Finally, use your sense of taste to explore the food or drink flavors you brought with you. You may even like tasting a leaf of mint or edible plants you bring with you from your garden.

8. As you explore, collect any interesting items that you find, such as a unique rock, a feather, or a leaf. 

9. When you're finished, take a moment to reflect on your experience. Write down any thoughts or observations in your notebook, and take a few more deep breaths to appreciate nature's beauty fully.

This sensory scavenger hunt is a fun and creative way to connect with nature and engage all five senses. It's a great way to reduce stress, improve mindfulness, and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

This is an example of one of the many fun activities we do together in our Sensitive Empowerment Community! Doing it together is more fun, so I hope you can join us!

Here are some of the special spaces we have in our community

• About the Trait of High Sensitivity

• Replay Library (Catch up on all the amazing recordings of our past events!)

• Tips & Tools To Thrive

• Self-Compassion, Self-Care

• Empowerment & Communication

• Polls

• Positivity Fill-Up

• Be the Change

• Creativity, Art, Music

• Health and Movement

• Mindfulness & Meditation

• Nature and Garden

• Parents & Grandparents

• Pets, Animals and Birds

• Sensory & Food

• Travel and Adventure

• Words & Media

• Connect to Each Other Here

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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of the exceptionally ranked Sensitive Empowerment Community. Julie's HSP Podcast is among the top 5% of the most shared and followed worldwide. Her online courses and free resources have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity, and her greatest joy lies in helping HSPs discover their significant value to the world. Julie's brain training program has proven to reduce anxiety within the first two weeks. Explore all her resources at JulieBjelland.com JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)