The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, step by step

What the 5-4-3-2-1 technique is

This is a grounding exercise that uses your five senses to bring your attention back to where you are. When your mind is caught in a loop of worry, noticing concrete things around you one at a time gives your attention somewhere to land. The University of Rochester Medical Center describes it as a way to ground yourself in the present during anxiety or panic, when your mind bounces between anxious thoughts.

Step by step

Before you begin, take a few slow breaths. In the tool above, tap a circle each time you notice something — there is nothing to type.

• 5 — look around and notice five things you can see: a colour, an object, a patch of light.
• 4 — four things you can touch: the table under your hand, fabric on your skin, your feet on the floor.
• 3 — three sounds you can hear: a fan, traffic outside, your own breathing.
• 2 — two things you can smell; if nothing stands out, try your sleeve or a cup of tea.
• 1 — one thing you can taste: what lingers in your mouth, or a sip of water.

When to use it

When anxiety rises, when your mind keeps circling one thing, or after a conversation that has shaken you. You can do it anywhere, and no one needs to know. In Inti Care, a companion can also assign the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise for you to practise between sessions.