The Alien Eyes Challenge

Well, sure.

Here's a quick, easy, and unusual way to help you live more in the moment--in the here and now--and less in the unsatisfying anticipation of vague promises about the future. I call it the "Alien Eyes Challenge," and it's a little weird, but you'll like it.

First, pick a familiar object, something you see every day. It can be an object on your desk, something you carry in your pocket, or anything in your home or office--just be sure it's something you no longer notice as special. Examples? A chair, a spoon, a cord attached to your computer, a crack in the floor, a pillow.

Next, set your phone for a three-minute alarm. Press Start.

Now describe this ordinary object to yourself, but pretend you don't know what it is. How do you deal with things you are encountering for the first time? You look at their texture, their shape, you touch them to see how they feel, you may even smell the thing to see if there's anything going on there. In other words, this time you will really examine it. Use all your senses. Do this until the alarm goes off.

Why bother? By treating something familiar as new, you're activating dopamine's novelty response. Now you are noticing things that really are new to you, such as the shape, feel, and texture of an otherwise familiar thing. The mild dopamine surge heightens your attention and pulls you out of your typical ways of thinking. It also better anchors you in the sensory details of the moment, which is a good habit when you want to live more fully in the here and now.