​@GretchenRubin is a happiness expert and devout non-meditator. In this episode we talk about: • What led Gretchen to explore the five senses • How we often take our senses for granted • How our senses work with the brain to impact our perception • The relationship between the senses and nostalgia • The surprising power of ketchup and vanilla when it comes to the sense of taste • The sense of hearing and what she calls her “Audio Apothecary” • How to be a better listener • The interplay between the senses of taste and smell • The sense of touch and the use of comfort objects • Why she decided to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art everyday to explore the five senses • And how she uses the five senses to boost creativity In her latest book Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World, she describes how a routine visit to her eye doctor made her realize she’d been overlooking a key element of happiness: her five senses.  Gretchen Rubin is the author of many books, including the New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm; The Four Tendencies; Better Than Before; and The Happiness Project. Her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, and have been translated in more than thirty languages. She also hosts the top-ranking, award-winning podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin.  Learn more about Ten Percent Happier podcast at http://www.tenpercent.com. Check out guided meditations alongside practical teachings in the Ten Percent Happier app. Click here [https://10percenthappier.app.link/ins...] to get started. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/gretchen-rubin-588 #fivesenses #anxiety #creativity #relationships #podcast #meditation #mindfulness