The Five Senses and Mental Health

Stories, signs to notice and what to do

The Window Seat Experiment

Aarav, fourteen, lived in a Delhi apartment and spent most of his holidays indoors with the curtains drawn, playing games on a screen. By July he was sleepy in the morning, awake at midnight, and snappy with his parents. His eyes burned and his headaches had started.

His grandmother, Dadi, noticed his pale face and made an unusual request: 'Sit with me on the balcony for twenty minutes every morning.' Aarav grumbled but agreed. Dadi sipped tea while he watched pigeons and the morning light fall on the neighbour's neem tree. She said little.

His mother Rekha, reading about the senses and the mind, supported the plan. Morning sunlight helps the body clock, which helps sleep. Green views and nature calm the nervous system. Long hours on bright screens strain the eyes and can delay sleep, especially in the hour before bed. They agreed that screens would be turned off an hour before bedtime and that Aarav would use the night mode. They moved his desk next to the window and put a small plant on it.

Within three weeks Aarav was falling asleep earlier and waking with less effort. He also found that the daily balcony time had become a space where he could talk to Dadi about school worries. His headaches faded after an eye check by an optician, who gave him a mild correction for his glasses. Rekha told Dadi, 'You and the neem tree did more than all my lectures.'

How to recognise it

• Long hours indoors with little daylight and heavy screen use.
• Late sleeping, morning sleepiness and a drifting body clock.
• Eye strain, headaches or burning eyes.
• Irritability or low energy linked to poor sleep and low activity.
• A cluttered or dim room that adds to low mood.

What this story explains

This story shows how sight and light affect the mind: morning sunlight, nature views, calm lighting and limits on screens before sleep. It illustrates healthy visual habits from the chapter.

Probable root causes

• Too little natural light affecting the body clock.
• Prolonged screen time and bright light close to bedtime.
• Reduced time outdoors and in green spaces.
• Eye strain or an uncorrected vision problem.
• Low activity and social contact during holidays.

What to do

1. Get 10 to 30 minutes of morning daylight when possible.
2. Spend regular time in green or natural spaces, even a balcony or a park.
3. Turn off screens an hour before bed and use night mode in the evening.
4. Use soft, warm lighting at home in the evening.
5. Keep living and study spaces tidy and calm.
6. Have eyes checked if there are headaches or strain.

Whom to consult

• Optician or eye doctor for headaches, eye strain or blurred vision.
• Paediatrician or family doctor if sleep problems or low mood continue for weeks.
• School counsellor or clinical psychologist if the child is withdrawn, very irritable or avoiding school.
• Psychiatrist if mood or sleep problems become severe.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Invite rather than order: 'Come and sit with me for ten minutes?'
• Listen to what the child enjoys on screen without ridicule.
• Praise small changes.
• Avoid shaming phrases like 'you are addicted'.
• Use shared time to open a talk: 'How are things at school?'

The Smell of Her Mother's Kitchen

Ayesha, thirty-five, lived in Birmingham, far from her mother in Lahore. Her mother had died the previous winter. Weeks later, in a supermarket, Ayesha passed a stall of cardamom and cloves and suddenly burst into tears. The smell carried her instantly to her mother's kitchen, to evenings of warm chai and her mother's humming.

Embarrassed, she wiped her eyes and told her husband Imran about it. He did not rush to fix it. 'The sense of smell goes straight to the parts of the brain that hold memory and emotion,' he said, having read about it. 'That is why one scent can take you home.' Ayesha realised her grief was not a problem to avoid but a form of love.

She decided to use the senses deliberately. She cooked her mother's recipe on Sundays and let the smell fill the flat. She listened to the soft old songs her mother liked, at a low volume, for ten minutes each evening. But she also noticed that the constant news alerts on her phone left her tense and unable to sleep, so she turned off the news audio at night and began each day with quiet time.

Some days she cried; most days she felt close to her mother. Imran gently checked that she was sleeping and eating and that her sadness was easing over weeks instead of deepening. They agreed that if sadness became constant or hopeless, she would speak to her doctor.

How to recognise it

• Sudden strong emotion or memory triggered by a smell or sound.
• Grief or stress that rises in waves.
• Sleep disturbed by alarming news or noise before bed.
• Tension from constant noise or alerts.
• A need to check whether sadness is easing or deepening over weeks.

What this story explains

This story shows how smell connects directly to memory and emotion, and how calming sounds, music and quiet time can support the mind. It also shows the harm of distressing news audio and the value of cultural and personal scents.

Probable root causes

• Direct links between smell, memory and emotion in the brain.
• Grief after the loss of a close person.
• Constant exposure to alarming news and notifications.
• Lack of quiet time and rest.
• Distance from family and homeland, which sharpens longing.

What to do

1. Allow the memory and the tears to come; they are a normal part of grief.
2. Use comforting familiar scents, foods and music on purpose.
3. Create 10 to 15 minutes of daily quiet time without devices.
4. Limit distressing news, especially before bed.
5. Keep living spaces clean and well ventilated.
6. Talk with someone about the person you miss.

Whom to consult

• Family doctor if sleep or appetite are disturbed for weeks.
• Bereavement counsellor or grief support group for ongoing sadness.
• Clinical psychologist if grief feels stuck or turns into persistent low mood.
• Emergency number or nearest hospital at once if there are thoughts of ending life.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Respond softly: 'It sounds like that smell brought her very close.'
• Ask 'Would you like to tell me about her?'
• Listen without hurrying her to feel better.
• Avoid 'you should be over it by now'.
• Offer company: 'Shall I cook with you on Sunday?'

Sugar Highs and Sunday Lunches

Dev, nineteen, studied in Kolkata and lived in a hostel. During exams he lived on tea, packets of chips and sugary drinks, skipping proper meals. By the third week he was jittery in the morning, then foggy and irritable by afternoon. He told his friend Rishi, 'I think I am going mad. I cannot think and I feel like crying for no reason.'

Rishi, a nutrition student, laughed kindly. 'You are not mad. You are hungry in a smart way.' He explained that sugar spikes blood sugar and then lets it crash, which can bring shakiness, anxiety and low mood. Regular meals keep blood sugar steadier. He also said that the gut and brain talk to each other through nerves and chemicals, so stress can upset the stomach and a poor diet can affect mood. 'Eating comfort food is not wrong,' he said, 'but if it is your only coping, you will end up on a roller coaster.'

They made a plan together: breakfast with some protein, a proper lunch in the mess, fruit and nuts as snacks, water through the day, and tea only in the morning. Dev also took a ten-minute walk after meals. On Sundays they cooked rice, dal and vegetables with the hostel group and ate slowly, not over books.

The jitters faded within a week. Dev still felt exam stress, but his thinking was clearer. Rishi added that if he continued to lose appetite, felt low or anxious for weeks, he should see the college doctor.

How to recognise it

• Shakiness, irritability or fog that follows skipped meals or heavy sugar.
• Heavy reliance on tea, caffeine, chips and sugary drinks.
• Stomach upset, nausea or loss of appetite during stress.
• Using food as the only way to cope with emotions.
• Appetite changes or low mood lasting several weeks.

What this story explains

This story shows how taste, eating patterns and blood sugar affect mood and thinking, including the gut-brain connection and comfort eating. It illustrates healthy eating habits from the chapter.

Probable root causes

• Skipped meals and sugary snacks that cause blood sugar swings.
• Exam or life stress that disturbs appetite and digestion.
• Too much caffeine, which adds jitteriness and poor sleep.
• Little water and little movement.
• Using food to soothe emotions when other coping tools are missing.

What to do

1. Eat regular meals with protein, fibre and vegetables.
2. Limit sugary drinks, refined snacks and ultra-processed foods.
3. Drink water throughout the day.
4. Eat slowly, ideally with others, and notice taste.
5. Add other coping tools: a walk, music, a talk with a friend.
6. See a doctor if appetite or mood problems continue.

Whom to consult

• College or family doctor for appetite changes, stomach problems or ongoing low mood.
• Dietitian or nutritionist for practical eating plans.
• Counsellor or clinical psychologist if eating is linked to stress or emotions.
• Psychiatrist or doctor promptly if eating drops sharply, or there are signs of an eating disorder.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Use humour gently: 'You are not mad; you may just be hungry.'
• Invite rather than lecture: 'Come and eat with us.'
• Listen to the stress behind the eating.
• Avoid shaming food or body comments.
• Offer to share a meal or a walk.

Too Loud, Too Quiet

At a family wedding in Kochi, eight-year-old Nila covered her ears, hid under a table and then screamed when an aunt tried to hug her. The music was loud, the lights were flashing, the hall smelt of strong perfume and flowers, and the silk of her new dress itched. Her mother, Divya, felt embarrassed and then guilty.

Divya took her to a quiet side room, dimmed the lights and sat with her, saying little. She rubbed Nila's back only after asking, 'Would you like a hug or just me sitting here?' Nila whispered, 'Just sitting.' After ten minutes of slow breathing and a sip of water, Nila calmed. Divya realised her daughter was overloaded: too many sights, sounds, smells and textures at once.

Later Divya spoke to Nila's paediatrician, who talked about sensory sensitivity and suggested ways to help: quieter breaks, soft clothes, earplugs for loud events and giving warning before changes. If the difficulties were severe or frequent, the doctor said, an assessment by a child specialist could be helpful.

The other side of the story was Nila's grandfather, Appu, who lived alone and rarely left his dark flat. He spoke to no one for days and said the days felt flat. Divya brought him to her house on Sundays for sunlight, music and a hug from the grandchildren. 'Too little is also hard,' she told Nila. 'Both too much and too little can upset the mind. We are looking for balance.'

How to recognise it

• Covering ears, hiding, meltdown or irritability in noisy, bright or crowded places.
• Discomfort with certain clothes, textures or smells.
• Calming quickly when taken to a quiet place.
• The opposite: loneliness, long hours in a dark, silent or inactive environment.
• Difficulties that happen often and affect school, family events or daily life.

What this story explains

This story shows sensory overload and sensory deprivation, and how touch and boundaries matter. It teaches that people differ in sensitivity, and that both too much and too little stimulation can upset the mind.

Probable root causes

• Natural differences in sensory sensitivity, sometimes linked to conditions such as autism or anxiety.
• Crowded, noisy, bright and strongly scented environments.
• Tiredness and hunger that lower tolerance.
• Social isolation and monotonous surroundings in older or lonely people.
• Lack of warning or choice in handling touch and routines.

What to do

1. Move to a quieter, calmer space and reduce stimulation.
2. Ask before touching or hugging, and respect the answer.
3. Use earplugs, sunglasses or soft clothing when needed.
4. Offer slow breathing or simple grounding, such as noticing five things you can see.
5. Give advance notice of loud or crowded events and plan breaks.
6. For isolated people, add gentle company, daylight, music and activity.

Whom to consult

• Paediatrician for a child with frequent sensory distress or meltdowns.
• Child psychologist or developmental specialist for assessment if difficulties are significant.
• Occupational therapist for practical sensory strategies.
• Family doctor or counsellor for an older person who is lonely or withdrawn.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Speak softly, with few words: 'I am here. We can go somewhere quiet.'
• Offer choices: 'Hug or sit together?'
• Wait and listen; do not argue during overload.
• Avoid shaming in front of others.
• For isolated people, say 'I would love your company on Sunday.'

This book is for education and general awareness. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified professional. If anyone is in danger, contact your local emergency services.