.... a bath this morning! (And no it's not my birthday). The bath really wasn't a big deal. Just took a bit of effort getting out so I really must remember to get the grab rail re-fixed. However ... i had an idea while in the bath, well more of a thought really ...
.... Not long before my bath I'd been reading posts & noting how some of us sometimes get a bit fed up of sometimes not being able to get out much .... and as I wallowed in the tub and was transported in my head to a lovely woodland forest curtesy of a new bottle of baddedas shower/ shampoo gel which gives lovely bubbles in the bath ...... i wondered how many that are suck at home think of using smells, sents and textures to transport us from our homes to elsewhere? & that perhaps we ought to try to involve the family / friends more in occassionally bringing the outside or different places to us if we cant get outside!
When the kids are small they bring us lots of weird stuff from outside to enjoy (e.g. look here's a stick that looks like deer horns)& we enjoy that, but as they grow up they don't do that anymore & once we can't get out we can't see / enjoy such silly things ourselves ...so I was thinking ...
- if someone says to you they are going to the beach .... ask if they could bring a little bit of sand and some pebbles back for you in a plastic bag: tip them on to a tray, smell them, put your fingers in them, play for a while, maybe even put a foot in them ... the smells and textures will evoke happy memories & hopefully help you to envisage being on a beach. You could even find a nice sunny beach picture to look at , at the same time.
- a little bundle of autumn leaves will let you enjoy all the different colours & smells of autumn ( before they go to mulch)
- some conkers
- to see a photo of the new bakers in town & bd told a description of it and it's staff so that you can feel like youv'e been there - over
- a takeaway treat to share alongside a cup of tea (of course)
- a bit of bubble bath with a forest smell (like baddedas) in a small bowl of hot water [if you're not up to.having a soak]
- etc.
Maybe just a silly idea? Or maybe it might be helpful to someone?
Love & best wishes to all.
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1234_6
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Hello
I am glad you had a bath and it was not even your Birthday
And the thought you had is brilliant for someone like me I never would have come up with that but now you have posted this it is something I am going to ask people to do
Thanks Thatwasunexpected. Your reply reminds me that I have a bar of soap in a drawer (somewhere) kept unused because it's smell reminds me of granddad's aftershave & one sniff transports me back to the safe-haven of his living room & time spent mending jewellery stuff for a charity market stall. It's a while since I've engaged in that comfort smell & I'm going to dig it out tonight. 😊
What a loverly and thoughtful post.
It has been known for years that using things exactly as you describe as sensory perceptive tools, have unlocked many people.
Smells have been used for years in therapy along with touch and visual stimulation .
But I have never thought of using it on myself or in my own home.
Great post. I always have a bath in May, whether I need it or not.I'm in the garden at the moment. Wonderful shades of blue in the sky, shades of green all around. Soprano bird song and the base of a plane somewhere. A gentle breeze on the skin, soft grass underfoot. The smell of spring. And I can still taste that homemade cake I had with the tea after lunch.
Thanks for the reminder to check these. Have a good day.
Super idea. Smell can invoke so many memories, as indeed can sound. I'm often transported in my mind back to holidays when I hear certain songs on the radio.
Just another thought for those of us that are able to get out. Life is so busy that I think we need to stop, look, listen and breath in to take in the sense of where we are. I'm not suggesting we do this in the middle of a built up area, but when we are able to get to green spaces. Even in my own garden I find taking five minutes to watch the birds on the feeders, listen to the birdsong, smell the aroma of the flowers and enjoy their colourful display..... well, without these things life would be so grey. 😀
OMG why have I never thought of this not so much for me although am a bit fed up of being in, have been getting little trips out with friends and family since my surgery, but my 91yo mum and 90yo mum in law who don’t get out much at all these days I think would love this. Nest time we get to the beach I’m gonna gather some pebbles, shells and maybe a bit of seaweed for my mum. The beach has always been her favourite place to be. Thank you so much for this idea,
What a lovely idea, 1234 - I always bring a pebble, shell or a wee bit of driftwood home when I visit the beach and on forest walks if I find an odd piece of wood it comes home for the garden. Carol
It was before that of which we may not speak, not completely unusual for scents to be used in cases of coma.When my mum was in one we at the suggestion of one of the nurses put a small bowl of grated caramac that disgusting chocolate wannabe on her bedside table my sister had mentioned mum liked it., And the nurse thought that it might help he out of the coma.
I don't know if it helped, but when she came out of it one of the first things she asked for was a pice of "Cara" .
Scent's are a part of memory, the right smell and you are back at Christmas when you were 5 or catching your first fish, it is a trigger and anything that improves people's mood is useful.
When I was in hospital one time my husband took a photo of our bay tree which was in full bloom. I was in an isolation room at the time and to see that photo of something from our garden was wonderful.
With that in mind, I think your idea of bringing the outside in is brilliant.
During the pandemic, when some of us shielded longer than the rest of the country, our granddaughters, along with our son or daughter-in-law, would bring homemade cakes to us, always with a small bunch of flowers from their garden. They would leave them in the porch, ring the bell and step back while we collected them. The taste of homemade cake beats anything from the shop and the tiny posies made us think about happy times we had spent in their garden with them.
We have a painted stone from another grandchild who lives the other end of the country.
These little gifts are treasures and evoke wonderful memories.
I will think harder now about what I can take to friends who can't get out much.
Your post just brought back memories of the smell of Baddedas. I loved it back in the day when I had baths with Bubbles in, long soaks reading a book. Haven't had a bath for years now👃👃as the last time I had one I couldn't get out of it. Took ages, had to turn over on to hands and knees and use handrails to heave myself up. Either that or wait for partner to wonder where I was and come looking. So it's showers only now, not as good as the pages go soggy.😊😊
If I did then it was so long ago I'd forgotten and my memory is still pretty good, ... what was I saying?..... Oh yes Baddedas, will put some down on my next shopping order. Thanks for that😊
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