How To Lower Anxiety Using Your 5 Senses: Quick, easy tool

There is a simple tool you can use to connect with your five senses (sight, touch, hear, feel, taste) to lower your anxiety in any situation. The technique is commonly referred to as the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding method. It is a technique that is very easy to remember and once you start practicing it, highly effective. With this grounding method, you will simply focus on:

5 things you see.

4 things you touch.

3 things you hear.

2 things you smell.

1 thing you taste.

Before you get started on connecting with your senses, focus on your breathing. Take a few deep breaths. Once you are ready to begin, focus on one sense at a time before you move on to the next sense for the best results.

Sight, 5 things you see: You will use your sight to observe 5 things. Pick the first object you want to focus on. For example, let’s say it’s a painting in the room. Focus on the specific details of that painting. Are there patterns in it? What textures are in the painting? What colors? As you move on to the next object, zero in your focus on the details of the object.

Touch, 4 things you touch: Next, you are going to feel 4 objects to activate your sense of touch which will distract from the anxiousness. For example, let’s say you are in a business meeting that is causing you social anxiety. You likely can’t get up and start touching different things in the meeting room. Take the pen cap off your pen and hold it in your hand for about 30 seconds. You can squeeze it or just simply hold it. You can do the same thing with a paper clip.

If you don’t have any other objects to feel in this situation, you can always touch a body part (ex: leg) and press down for 30 seconds.

If you are at home, a couple of my recommendations are using ice or cold water. You can put your hand under the cold running water for 30 seconds or hold ice.

Hear, 3 things you hear: This step can be very grounding. It can be done with or without your eyes closed. I prefer closing my eyes with this step but in some settings, that won’t be possible.

Focus on 3 different things you hear. Is there someone talking in the room? Do you hear a car go by outside? Birds chirping? Can you hear the tick of the clock? In order to be more mindful, try to focus on sounds in the distance that aren’t as obvious.

Smell, 2 things you smell: What are 2 things you can smell? I tell clients to think of some of their favorite smells (example: lavender, mint, cinnamon) and to have items with that scent that they can use when they are using this tool. Essential oils, candles, and hand lotions in your favorite scent are some examples you can incorporate for this step.

Taste, 1 thing you taste: You can use a stick of gum or breath mint. Have a sip of that tea or coffee. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have something to taste, that’s okay. Simply think about the flavor and what it tastes like.

I hope you find this tool helpful the next time you are experiencing anxiety. It can be used in any situation that you find anxiety producing such as undergoing a medical procedure, attending a business meeting, conducting a presentation, or social settings.

If you are struggling with anxiety and want to learn more tools, contact Jessica Brady LCSW for a free consultation. Jessica Brady LCSW specializes in therapy for women’s issues and anxiety. Call or text (732-807-1907) to request a free consultation.