5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? Use your five senses to anchor yourself in the present moment and interrupt spiralling thoughts.
You are grounded ✓
5 things I saw
4 things I felt
3 things I heard
2 things I smelled
1 thing I tasted
Take a deep breath. You are here, you are safe.
Why it works
The Science of 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique works by redirecting your attention from anxious thoughts to immediate sensory experience. This engages the prefrontal cortex (rational thinking) and interrupts the amygdala’s fear response.
By systematically engaging all five senses, you activate multiple brain regions simultaneously, which competes with and overrides the anxiety circuit. This is a core principle of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Grounding techniques like this are widely used in trauma therapy (EMDR, DBT) because they anchor you in the present moment, breaking the cycle of rumination and panic.
Research: Linehan (2014), DBT Skills Training Manual; van der Kolk (2014), The Body Keeps the Score