What is the 54321 Grounding Technique for Anxiety, Racing Thoughts and Stress?
Whenever we feel anxious, stressed or panicky, wouldn’t it be amazing to have a kind of “reset button” at hand? Something that would slow down our racing thoughts, calm our body and make us feel safe again. Now, I don’t have a magic wand, but this 54321 grounding method comes pretty close.
Let me begin with a short explanation of what happens when we feel anxious: somehow our mind has latched onto something which triggered us to feel unsafe. Potentially completely unnecessarily, as there might be no actual danger at all, but try telling that to your body when it’s in full-blown fight-flight-freeze mode!
The benefit of the 54321 method is that it connects us with objects around us that feel safe, which consequently anchors us into the present moment. It takes us out of the internal negative thought spiral and balances the nervous system (the opposite of fight-flight-freeze), and brings us back into a state of relaxation.
Once we feel calmer, we can more accurately access the situation, and decide on ur next steps.
Struggling with anxiety or emotional overwhelm? Learn how to do the 54321 Grounding Method here.
Watch this compassionate and helpful step-by-step explanation of the 54321 method by qualified psychotherapist Karin Peeters:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique explained
Restlessness,
An underlying sense of unease,
Obsessive thoughts you can’t get still:
It costs so much energy.
The anxious thoughts might be true,
Or seem to have no base in reality.
The distinction is irrelevant.
As the tension and discomfort you feel are real…
Instead of spiralling deeper and deeper
Into unhelpful ways of thinking,
54321 Grounding Techniques plant you firmly
In the present moment, bringing calm and rest.
This 54321 grounding method for anxiety
Can be very helpful
During periods of stress, anxiety or panic
By helping you to return
To the here-and-now reality.
Grounding techniques turn your attention away
From thoughts, memories, or worries,
And refocuses you in the present moment.
Learn this powerful coping technique
For managing the symptoms of anxiety and stress.
It is called the
Grounding 54321 Exercise for Anxiety
And it’s an excellent technique,
Based on your 5 sense organs.
Use it when your mind is agitated
And you are longing for inner calm.
Prefer to start working one-to-one
With a Coach & Psychotherapist?
Leave your details here,
And we’ll get in touch:
what is the “five senses” 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
What are the five senses of the body, and how to use them to lower anxiety?
You have five basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste, based on the sensory organs of your skin, eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Each of these correspond to a respective visual system (sense of vision), auditory system (sense of hearing), somatosensory system (sense of touch), olfactory system (sense of smell), and gustatory system (sense of taste).
During sensation, your sense organs collect various stimuli (such as a tastes or sights) for transformation into a form that can be understood by your brain.
Sensation and perception are fundamental to nearly every aspect of your thoughts and behaviour. Meaning that the way you sense things, and how your brain perceives and interprets this data, determines your response to the sense object.
When a situation or object is interpreted as unsafe, we respond with anxiety and stress. When an object is perceived as safe, our nervous system relaxes. And this is where this Mindfulness Exercise for Anxiety comes in! Keep reading, and you’ll find out how to apply it straight away to feel more grounded and calm.
“Touch the ground of the present moment deeply, and you will touch real peace and joy.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
“I am grounded and safe.”
meditation mantra
Five senses method to lower your anxiety
How to practice the 54321 Mindfulness of the Five Senses Coping Technique for Grounding and Inner Calm
Look around the space where you currently are. By using your five senses, this mindful Coaching & Therapy technique will take you out of your head, into the here and now. It’s like pressing a reset button. Your physical body connects you with the world around you, and your five senses are like tethers, anchoring you to the moment. Using the 54321 Grounding Technique, you will purposefully take in the details of your surroundings using each of your five senses, in order for you to lower anxiety, clear your mind and feel more balanced and at ease.
SEE: Acknowledge five things that you can see around you.
For example the bold red letters on the advertisement sign opposite you, the blue velvet of the sofa, when looking down you can see your own hands and feet, the view of the trees and sky through the window, plus the bag you are holding containing your shopping.
Look for small details that you might usually miss, like the way shadows dance over the surface of the wall or a pattern on the skirt of the lady who sits next to you.
FEEL: Acknowledge four things that you can touch around you.
For example your feet wobbling against the socks inside your shoes, the fabric of the denim jeans you are wearing, the softness of your jumper, the cold faux-leather of the seat you’re sitting on, and the smooth touch of your mobile phone.
You can list these items of touch in your head, but it really helps to actually touch these objects with your hands and to feel their texture, temperature, moisture etc.
Notice the sensation of the wind on your skin or the roughness and smoothness of the clothes you are wearing. Pick up your wallet and become aware of its weight, texture, colours and other physical characteristics.
HEAR: Acknowledge three things you can hear around you.
For example the sound of traffic, someone typing on their keyboard or talking into their mobile phone, distant music in the house next door, and the rain or birds outside.
You might also be able to hear subtle sounds that your mind usually tunes out, such as the ticking of the pipes in the house, distant children playing outside, the wind in the trees or the sound of your own breathing.
SMELL: Acknowledge two things that you can smell around you.
For example the smell of your laundry detergent on the jumper you are wearing, or the your shampoo in your hair. Pay special attention to smells in the air around you, like wet autumn leaves, an air-freshener, cigarette smoke or a sweaty gym.
Look around you for objects with a scent, is anyone carrying flowers or can you spot a bakery or fancy candle with bergamot scent? If possible, move towards the object and breathe in the smells to really ground you in the present moment.
TASTE: Acknowledge one thing around you that you can taste.
For example the flavour of your tooth paste that lingers in your mouth, or the coffee you drank not so long ago. There might even be some left over lunch between your teeth that you can savour now :)
If you suffer from anxiety on a more regular basis, it can really help to carry chewing gum, candy, or savoury snacks with you at all times. When you put it in your mouth, really focus your attention on what you can taste.
54321 Mindfulness grounding technique
A simple 54321 grounding exercise to reduce anxiety, panic and stress
May this Five Senses Grounding Technique
Take you out of your head,
Silence the negative thoughts,
And bring you back into your body.
This Coaching & Therapy method can really help
To manage anxiety and stress.
And once you’re back in the here-and-now
Take a deep breath in and out.
From this grounded place,
You’ll have more clarity of mind
To decide on your best next steps.
Grounding yourself in the present moment
Doesn’t magically
Make all your problems disappear.
But with a balanced, clear mind,
You can better explore the challenges in life
That you may wish to address,
Not with anxiety,
But with a calm, centred awareness.
You might like to understand
Where your anxiety comes from,
Or to learn how to live a more balanced life
So the stress levels won’t reach so high.
This 54321 Mindfulness of the Senses Exercise
Is a coping method,
It does not heal the root of your challenges.
If you’d like us to help you
Not just to manage,
But to reduce
And possibly fully overcome your stress and anxiety
We’d love to hear from you.
Your life is precious
Use it well.
May you enjoy peace and inner calm.
Warmly, Karin Peeters
Coach & Psychotherapist
Founder of Vitalis Coaching & Therapy
