This is a powerful grounding technique that can help alleviate stress, avoid an anxiety attack, and provide focus on the here and now in an otherwise busy day or a situation that is causing feelings of stress or anxiety.

The great thing about this technique is that you can do it anywhere, at any time (safely, not whilst driving or operating heavy machinery), and nobody needs to be aware that you are doing it.

If it’s safe to do so, stop and use the following steps to ground yourself in the moment:

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

If one or more of these senses are not available for you to use, you can skip it or focus on extra things for the senses that are available to you. As you focus on each of your senses, take slow, deep breaths. This will help to slow your heart rate, helping invoke a feeling of calm.

Distracting your mind by grounding yourself in the moment can help to stop racing thoughts, soothe your nervous system and bring focus.

If you would like an infographic of this technique that you can download or set as your phone wallpaper as a handy guide, just use the ‘contact me’ form, and I can send you a copy by email or WhatsApp.

If you are experiencing overwhelming thoughts and feelings, get in touch for an informal chat and see if counselling might help you move forward with tools for inner calm and focus.

~ Lisa