The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique to Help You Feel Grounded
How to quickly reduce anxiety or stress
This is a simple yet very effective tool to remind your brain that you are calm, present and safe.
It can be helpful for symptoms of PTSD, panic attacks or even if you are just feeling a bit anxious.
By focusing on all 5 of your senses, this tool will help to bring your awareness back to the present moment and give you some breathing space.
What are FIVE things you can SEE?
Look around your environment and notice five things you can see.
Focus on their shape, colour, size and name them in your mind or aloud.
What are FOUR things you can TOUCH?
Walk around your environment and use your hands to (safely) touch four things.
Pay attention to the texture, temperature and the way it feels to touch them.
What are THREE things you can HEAR?
Tune into the sounds around you and try to focus your attention on three things you can hear.
It might be the sounds of traffic, people talking, a clock ticking or nature.
It might also be silence, which can be acknowledged too.
What are TWO things you can TASTE?
Some people find this one quite tricky, but if you focus on taste you can trick your brain into imagining the taste of your favourite food or drink.
Perhaps you can taste the last thing you ate, or toothpaste if you’ve recently brushed your teeth.
What is ONE thing you can SMELL?
If you have a sensitive nose, you might be able to smell all sorts of things in your environment.
Try focusing on the smell of flowers, fresh coffee, fruit or perfume.
If you struggle with this one, try and imagine something you would really love to smell in that moment.
Finish the exercise with a few deep breaths and continue your day feeling calm and grounded.
