Is happiness connected to your senses?

Of the many trials that COVID gave me when it finally came for me this winter, the one I'm still most mad about is the way it robbed me of a multitude of little pleasures I didn't even know I'd miss. The coughing and the exhaustion had been rough, but what made me want to scream was how blah my morning coffee was, how drab and utilitarian showering had become. With my senses of smell and taste knocked out, the comforts that would normally have sustained me through an intense illness were profoundly blunted. And I was miserable. Now, months later, I appreciate the aromas and flavors and all the other tangible joys of my world differently, just for experiencing their loss even for a little while.

Gretchen Rubin had a similar kind of experience a few years ago. She'd written bestselling books on the topic, and hosts a popular podcast aimed at exploring how to be "Happier." But, as she told me on "Salon Talks" recently, "I've been studying happiness for years, and I had the sense that there was something I was missing." Then, a random comment from her doctor one day led to her own deeper understanding of the subject, and a new path toward even greater fulfillment. 

In her newest book, "Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World," Rubin delves into her own journey through sight, sound, taste, touch and scent, and offers her trademark wise and practical advice for engaging with all five on a more international — and enjoyable — level.