Grounding techniques for anxiety

Anxiety can be very debilitating for some people leading them to freeze in their steps and not be able to do anything. During a time when you are feeling stressed or anxious, it is important to find ways to ground yourself and bring yourself back to the present and become aware of your surroundings again. One proven technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, a technique that utilises all the 5 common senses: sense of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. Focussing on the present moment helps to take the mind off things that seem far off whilst concentrating on the here and now. Below is a detailed explanation of the 5 step process:

5 things that you can see

This step engages the sense of sight. Look around you, what can you see? Colours, topography, shapes, people, patterns etc. Visually stimulate yourself to know that you are here in this moment even though your mind is trying to take you elsewhere.

4 things that you can touch

This step engages the sense of touch. The physical sensations of feeling something can have such a calming effect. Maybe it's feeling something with texture or going bare foot and allowing your feet to feel the carpet or the sand.

3 things that you can hear

This step engages the sense of hearing. Listen to the sound of things that surround you: the birds, water flowing, cars going past you etc. Try to listen to those sounds that calm you down, maybe the sound of your own voice singing, your own breathing or the rustling of the wind.

2 things that you can smell

This step engages the sense of smell. There is something about a sweet aroma......and there is also something to be said about pungent smells. Beautiful scents are very calming. Focus on the pleasant scents around you, maybe it's the smell of your favourite coffee or the scent of flowers and even the smell of rain coming.

1 things that you can taste

This step engages the sense of taste. The sense of taste involves many things such as chewing, swallowing, flavour and texture of food. Concentrate on any of these things while eating to help you stay present in the moment. Just as the the motto of my favourite eatery (Soul Origin) says "Eat Mindfully", indeed, there is a way of eating food that makes each mouthful bring a sense of pleasure and enjoyment.

Using the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique to engage the five senses is a really good way of bringing yourself to the present moment and focussing on the here and now when your mind tries to take you to a place of anxiety.