Calming exercise
A guided grounding exercise that uses your five senses to bring you back to the present moment during anxiety, panic or overwhelm.
Notice things around you, one sense at a time. Tap each time you find one. Take as long as you need.
Find a comfortable position and take one slow breath. You are going to notice things around you, one sense at a time. There is no right or wrong answer.
Take one more slow breath. Notice how your body feels right now compared with when you started. If you still feel overwhelmed, you can go through the steps again, or try the breathing exercise.
If you feel unsafe or in crisis, find immediate help.
Grounding techniques pull your attention out of racing thoughts and into the present, where you can check your surroundings with your senses. The 5-4-3-2-1 method asks you to notice five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste.
It is widely used by therapists for anxiety, panic and trauma-related distress because it needs no equipment and can be done anywhere. Say each one out loud or in your head, and slow down enough to really notice it.
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Grounding techniques