Grounding Exercise 5–4–3–2–1

A resource that uses your own senses for “self-rescue”

Photo by Solstice Hannan on Unsplash

Not that I am meeting many people these days, but I have had a few chats on dog walks and zoom with lots of friends and acquaintances. Everyone seems to agree this lockdown is much harder than previous ones. Some of us will be managing okay but for some it will be really hard going, and emotions will be on a roller coaster.

Pre COVID, studies indicate that 70 percent of the global population will have had exposure to one traumatic event, (Benjet.et al 2016). Given the year we have just had this figure is going to skyrocket.

It is perfectly understandable to have feelings of anxiety, depression and anger These are normal and natural reactions to extraordinary events.

The following is a simple approach designed to help us in those moments when we are overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions. It’s a useful resource to cultivate.

Sensory grounding exercise

The “54321” is a wonderfully simple but effective grounding tool that can help through difficult moments. With practice it can develop our ability to “self-rescue” or “self-soothe.” It’s not a magical elixir that will solve everything, but it may reduce uncomfortable symptoms and restore some power. Very easy to understand and use. It needs though to be practiced, so that when it’s needed it’s second nature. Anyone can learn this, and it’s great for children as well. It can be used for lots of different situations:

Anxiety

Stress

Panic attacks

Trauma

Relaxation

Cravings

I came across this technique whilst assisting on a course. One of the participants had an anxiety attack and quickly left the event to get some air. I asked if I could help? She replied, “do you know the ‘54321 technique.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but she guided me whilst she worked through it. I watched as her symptoms eased, and a sense of calm was restored. I was hooked.

She explained that when we are over-whelmed, we can be consumed by thoughts and feelings that carry us off into either the past or the future. We are stuck in a loop of past or future thoughts that upset us. Either trawling previous hurts or looking to the future and asking “What if’s” over and over again. All of which ramps up our distress levels. When we are present though, we aren’t thinking about the past or future. Our attention is on what is happening right now. The 54321 works by using the senses to lead us back into the present to where we are more grounded.

Method

Begin by checking in with yourself; rate the emotional upset you are experiencing using a scale. Rate the upset out of 10 where 10 is bad and zero is good.

Now move through your 5 senses as follows:

See: Name 5 things you can see
Look around you now for 5 things that you can see, and, if you can, say them out loud. For instance, I see my laptop. I see my dog playing on the rug. I see flowers in the vase. I see a brown cushion on the chair. I see the newspapers folded on the sofa. This is exactly what you see not whether you like it or not.

Touch: Name 4 things you can feel
This time bring your awareness to how things feel to touch. Think of 4 things that you can touch, and notice their sensations, and again if possible, say them out loud. Here are some ideas. I can feel the coolness of the keyboard as I type. I feel my feet touching the cold tiles in my kitchen. I feel the smoothness of an apple in the fruit bowl. If you are somewhere and you can’t say things out loud, then explore items on you. I feel the smoothness of my wedding ring. I feel the warmth of my skin. I feel the denim material of my jeans.

Listen: Name and describe 3 things you can hear
I can hear the keys clicking as I type. I can hear the sound of a plane overhead. I can hear my family moving around upstairs. 

Smell: Name and describe 2 things you can smell
This is actually easier than may first appear. I can smell soap or sanitiser on my hands (they are washed enough!) I can smell my own perfume on my clothes. If you are struggling to find something, then move about and go and look for something to smell.

Taste: Name and describe 1 thing that you can taste
Here are some ideas. I can taste the soup that I had for lunch or I can taste my coffee, or it could be the toothpaste from brushing my teeth.

Having completed a round, it’s helpful to check in and rank the emotion again. See what the level is — even if it’s only come down from 9 to a 7, it’s still come down, that’s a 20% progress. This can give you a boost, providing some hope and a sense that you have got some power back. It shows that you can rescue yourself.

I recommend repeating this several times. This can be used for many different situations, but like any exercise it needs to be practiced, so that when you need it its second nature.