Mindful Grounding Technique

What should you do if you’re feeling overwhelmed, upset, or anxious? After you’ve worked your way through the classic trifecta of go-for-a-walk, take-deep-breaths, and approaching the mess with gratitude try this.

Ground yourself in the present using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.

This is one of my favorite mindfulness techniques. It doesn’t require any special spaces or tools—all you need is your five senses. Here's how to walk your way through them for instant grounding:

5 - Look around and name five things you can see, right now, from where you are.

4 - Listen and name four things you can hear.

3 - Notice three things you can touch, like the pages of a nearby book or the feeling of your feet on the carpet.

2 - Next come two smells: Breath in the pages of a book or the citrus scent of the candle you lit.

1 - Finally, name something you can taste: a sip of cold water will do, or even just the taste of your own mouth.

This does not one, but two things to interrupt the overwhelm. First, it grounds you in your senses and, more importantly, the present moment. Second, keeping track of the counting and working your way through your senses interrupts spinning thoughts. It’s a mini moment of mindfulness to pull you out of the fray. Remember practice makes progress.