Feeling Anxious? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Grounding TechniquesHow to Do the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding TechniqueHow the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique WorksTips for Practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding TechniqueBenefits of the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding TechniqueWhen to Use the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Grounding Techniques

How to Do the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

How the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique Works

Tips for Practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Benefits of the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

When to Use the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

When we’re feeling anxious or panicked, our mind races and our thoughts bounce from one worst case scenario to another. In the midst of this spiral, it can be hard to see a way out.

However, there are simple exercises that can help us regain control of our thoughts. They’re known asgrounding techniques, because they help us anchor ourselves in the present moment.

The 5-4-3-2-1 method is one of the most popular grounding techniques. “Amindfulnessexercise, this technique helps us come out of anxiety, unpleasant thoughts, or worries and come into what is right here, right now in the present, through our senses,” saysStephanie Strauss, a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness expert.

In this article, we explore the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, taking a look at how it works, how to practice it successfully, and the benefits it offers. This technique can be a valuable tool, whether you’re facing a moment of intense anxiety or simply trying to be more mindful in your daily life.

At a GlanceFeeling anxious or overwhelmed? This technique can help. All you have to do is identify:5 things you can see4 things you can feel3 things you can hear2 things you can smell1 thing you can tasteThis simple yet powerful exercise uses your senses to anchor you in the present moment, helping you find some calm amidst the chaos.

At a Glance

Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This technique can help. All you have to do is identify:5 things you can see4 things you can feel3 things you can hear2 things you can smell1 thing you can tasteThis simple yet powerful exercise uses your senses to anchor you in the present moment, helping you find some calm amidst the chaos.

Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This technique can help. All you have to do is identify:

This simple yet powerful exercise uses your senses to anchor you in the present moment, helping you find some calm amidst the chaos.

Grounding techniques are mental and emotional exercises that help us reconnect with thepresent momentand reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, ordissociation.

When our thoughts start to get away from us, using a grounding technique can help us pull our focus away from those thoughts and back to what’s happening right now, in our body and in our environment. This can help interrupt our stress response and bring a sense of calm.

There are in fact several types of grounding techniques, including:

Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free8-minute meditation focused on mindfulness—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free8-minute meditation focused on mindfulness—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

7 Breathing Exercises for Better Sleep

If you want to try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, here’s how to do it.

Identify 5 Things You Can See

The first step is to look around you and identify five things you can see right now. Feel free to say them out loud or whisper them in your mind as you describe each item in detail to yourself, says Strauss.

They could be anything, like a plant in the corner, a painting on the wall, a crack in the tile, a bird outside the window, or a charger plugged into a socket.

Identify 4 Things You Can Feel

The next step is to pay attention to how you feel. For this step, you can close your eyes, if that feels comfortable, or gently fix your gaze downward, says Strauss.

Now, list four things that you can feel. It could be a slight breeze, the warmth of the sun, the fabric of your clothes against your skin, the texture of your couch against your arm, or your breath as it goes in and out.

Identify 3 Things You Can Hear

Then, pay attention to the sounds around you and identify three things you can hear. It could be a horn blaring in the background, the low hum of the heater, or the television playing in another room.

For this step, you can continue to keep your eyes closed or your gaze downward, Strauss says. Notice the variety of sounds and their qualities.

Identify 2 Things You Can Smell

Identify 1 Thing You Can Taste

Finally, bring your attention to your taste buds and identify one thing you can taste. It can be the balm on your lips, the gum you’re chewing, or the lingering flavor of the lemonade you had earlier.

For this one, you can also close your eyes and imagine the taste of something, like your favorite tacos, the pizza you ate last night, or the meatloaf that makes you think of home.

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Here’s how the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique works:

—STEPH STRAUSS, MINDFULNESS EXPERT

These are some tips that can help you practice the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique successfully:

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These are some of the benefits of practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique:

This technique can empower us to take an active role in managing our anxiety and stress levels, giving us a sense of control and self-efficacy.—STEPH STRAUSS, MINDFULNESS EXPERT

This technique can empower us to take an active role in managing our anxiety and stress levels, giving us a sense of control and self-efficacy.

The best part is that this practice can be done discreetly, pretty much anywhere—on the bus, in a meeting, before a speech, or when you’re having a difficult conversation, says Strauss.

Takeaways

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique can be a helpful addition to your stress management toolkit. You can use it to calm down and divert your attention in situations when you’re feeling anxious, impatient, angry, or upset.

If you like, you can also choose to practice it regularly, as a part of yourself-care routine, to help you become more mindful in your daily life.

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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Subramanyam AA, Somaiya M, Shankar S, Nasirabadi M, Shah HR, Paul I, Ghildiyal R.Psychological interventions for dissociative disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan;62(Suppl 2):S280-S289. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_777_19Marchand WR.Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies.World J Radiol. 2014 Jul 28;6(7):471-9. doi:10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471Li J, Xu C, Wan K, Liu Y, Liu L.Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce anxiety among Chinese college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 6;13:1031398. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031398Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez MÁ, Riesco-Matías P, Petisco-Rodríguez C.Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: Testing a mediation model in a sample of women.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 21;18(3):925. doi:10.3390/ijerph18030925

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Subramanyam AA, Somaiya M, Shankar S, Nasirabadi M, Shah HR, Paul I, Ghildiyal R.Psychological interventions for dissociative disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan;62(Suppl 2):S280-S289. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_777_19Marchand WR.Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies.World J Radiol. 2014 Jul 28;6(7):471-9. doi:10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471Li J, Xu C, Wan K, Liu Y, Liu L.Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce anxiety among Chinese college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 6;13:1031398. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031398Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez MÁ, Riesco-Matías P, Petisco-Rodríguez C.Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: Testing a mediation model in a sample of women.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 21;18(3):925. doi:10.3390/ijerph18030925

Subramanyam AA, Somaiya M, Shankar S, Nasirabadi M, Shah HR, Paul I, Ghildiyal R.Psychological interventions for dissociative disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan;62(Suppl 2):S280-S289. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_777_19Marchand WR.Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies.World J Radiol. 2014 Jul 28;6(7):471-9. doi:10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471Li J, Xu C, Wan K, Liu Y, Liu L.Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce anxiety among Chinese college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 6;13:1031398. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031398Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez MÁ, Riesco-Matías P, Petisco-Rodríguez C.Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: Testing a mediation model in a sample of women.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 21;18(3):925. doi:10.3390/ijerph18030925

Marchand WR.Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies.World J Radiol. 2014 Jul 28;6(7):471-9. doi:10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471

Li J, Xu C, Wan K, Liu Y, Liu L.Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce anxiety among Chinese college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 6;13:1031398. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031398

Crego A, Yela JR, Gómez-Martínez MÁ, Riesco-Matías P, Petisco-Rodríguez C.Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: Testing a mediation model in a sample of women.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 21;18(3):925. doi:10.3390/ijerph18030925

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At a Glance#

Mindful Moment#

Identify 5 Things You Can See#

Identify 4 Things You Can Feel#

Identify 3 Things You Can Hear#

Identify 2 Things You Can Smell#

Identify 1 Thing You Can Taste#

Takeaways#