What is Sense Hacking?

Ever listened to an old song and suddenly found yourself back in a specific moment, feeling all the emotions you felt back then? That’s what we call Sense Hacking.

Music has a powerful ability to trigger memories and emotions associated with specific times, places, and experiences. This phenomenon occurs because our brains often link music with various sensory and emotional elements from the past.

When you hear a particular song or piece of music that you listened to during a significant moment in your life, it can trigger a cascade of memories and emotions. The brain’s limbic system, which is involved in emotions and memory, plays a crucial role in this process.

This connection between music and memory is a fascinating aspect of human experience and has been studied extensively. It’s why certain songs can evoke such strong and vivid memories, almost transporting you back to the exact moment when you first heard them. This emotional and sensory connection to music is one of the reasons why music is so universally cherished and holds such a special place in people’s hearts.

Sense Hacking takes this idea further into the world of business and personal development, offering a practical way to cut through cognitive overload. Especially when you are working remotely in a hybrid fashion. Here we make sense of other senses too!

The Science

Our brains constantly process sensory information, shaping how we perceive things and how we feel. Sense Hacking taps into this by deliberately manipulating our sensory experiences to change our mental and emotional states, much like how mindfulness and meditation work.

Now, let’s break it down with some practical exercises:

Visual Anchoring

Exercise: Pick an object that makes you happy or calm. Spend a few minutes each day just focusing on it.

Science: Research shows that visual cues can activate specific brain pathways linked to positive emotions.

Auditory Focus

Exercise: Listen to music or nature sounds, paying attention to different instruments or elements each time.

Science: Focused listening enhances neural connectivity, improving cognitive function and emotional regulation.

Olfactory Stimulation

Exercise: Light up your favourite candle while working on a difficult piece of work, then use it later to recall or re-energise for similar tasks.

Science: The sense of smell is directly connected to areas of the brain related to emotion and memory.

Tactile Mindfulness

Exercise: Engage in a tactile activity, like gardening or clay modeling, focusing on the sensation in your hands.

Science: Tactile stimulation activates the somatosensory cortex, enhancing mindfulness and reducing stress.

Taste Awareness

Exercise: Practice mindful eating, focusing on flavours, textures and temperatures.

Science: Mindful eating improves digestion and emotional well-being by engaging the brain in a focused and relaxed state.

Sense Hacking isn’t just a technique! It’s a journey toward self-awareness. By understanding and practicing these exercises, you can navigate personal and professional challenges more effectively and feel better about life.

Our new wellbeing programme offers the following:

A psychological safety audit, questionnaire or focus group with your people
12 different wellbeing sessions for 2024 for your teams. Each month we facilitate a one hour session for your teams and we do that for 12 months. These sessions are fully tailored to your business values and offer topics that provide insight and interest for your people, helping them to find practical techniques they can use to enhance their lives.
Access to our wellbeing portal