You've now spent time thinking about attention, senses, vocabulary, and distraction. The ideas are in your head. But this module isn't complete until you've felt the difference for yourself.
The next time you eat at a restaurant. Any restaurant, any price point. Try this:
- Put your phone away before you sit down. Not on the table. Away.
- When your food arrives, pause for three seconds. Look at the plate. Lean in slightly and smell it. Notice what you see and what you smell before you taste anything.
- On the first bite, chew slowly. Breathe out gently through your nose while chewing. Notice the first flavour that hits you. Notice how it changes.
- Try to name one thing. Not a judgement. An observation. "That's bright." "There's something smoky." "The texture is creamier than I expected." Anything.
- At the end of the meal, check in. How do you feel? What do you remember most vividly?
That's it. Five steps. Just be there, a little more than usual, and notice what happens.
The same meal tastes remarkably different when you're actually present for it.