As I sit and write this I'm aware of the birds happily singing outside, my little dog snoring as he sleeps, the light breeze coming through the window, the residual aroma of breakfast waffles and the slow rising steam from the cup of tea at my side. All to often through distraction of thought, stress, technology or the rush of life - these little moments are missed or dismissed. It can be easy to make excuses and try to justify not giving your attention to the quieter things in life. I ask you to trust me for a moment. Take a deep breath, relax and pause: listen to the details of the world around you, notice where you are, items, photos, aromas - things you may normally overlook. You have just observed things you had dismissed /subconsciously filtered out. Whilst pausing, you felt connected to the world and in many cases memories surfaced which made you smile. Our brains run approx 90% on subconscious (autopilot) programming. Aware of what you had been missing to on this basic level, what other moments in life are being overlooked? Challenge yourself to taking just 20 seconds of observation time throughout your day. In the coffee shop, walking to work, in a meeting, at home etc. You will be amazed at things you notice and learn when in the moment of observation. This purposeful technique will enable you to observe your world in a new light. Frequently with this, comes the added benefit of feeling calmer and being more connected and fulfilled. What have you got to lose?

Food memories are more sensory than other memories in that they involve all five senses, so when you’re that thoroughly engaged with the stimulus it has a more powerful effect.