The 5 senses anxiety calming technique
I recently heard about the 5 senses or 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique for anxiety, and after using it for a couple of weeks I think it works really well to ground yourself in the moment, and calm your nerves.
I’ve been using it often in a work setting where I have a tendency to get anxious by small things which really shouldn’t worry me like sending an email, and awaiting a response, or preparing for a presentation.
The exercise itself is very simple. When you feel anxious, look around you and find 5 things you can touch, 4 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can touch.
You can vary the order, and I often have, but I find that starting with 5 things you can touch works very well because you can be really mindful with your body when you do this.
As I type this, I can feel the keypad, the slight breeze on my face, the sun on my body, I can feel the chair beneath me, the warm socks feel a bit too warm, and it is wonderful to consciously feel these distinct sensations.
I really liked the video in this post about the 5-4-3-2-1 technique which drew an analogy of anxiety to hunger, and said that just as you can’t think your way out of hunger, you can’t think your way out of anxiety; you have to do something about it with your body.
So, try out this technique, and let me know if it helps you, or if you have another technique that has helped you!