Connect with all 5 senses to ease anxiety and feel calm

The ‘five senses’ technique helps you focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the future. 

The ‘5 senses’ technique is a coping tool for stressful situations.

Also known as the ‘5,4,3,2,1’ technique, it helps to ease anxiety by encouraging you to focus on the present moment.

The technique works by connecting you with each of your five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste.

Start by finding a quiet space and taking a deep breath, then follow these steps. 

5 (sight) - Look for five things

Look around you and name five things you can see. Say each item out loud. For example, you might say: ‘I see a computer, I see a pen, I see a cup, I see a photo, I see a light.’

4 (touch) - Feel four sensations

Focus on your body and acknowledge four things you can feel. For example, the hair on the back of your neck or the ground under your feet. As with sight, say each of these things out loud. 

3 (listen) - Listen for three sounds

What can you hear around you? Birds, traffic, a ringing phone? Name three sounds out loud.

2 (smell) - Smell two scents

Take a deep breath through your nose. Name two things you can smell. If you can’t smell anything, think of two of your favourite smells.

1 (taste) - Taste one flavour

Toothpaste from brushing your teeth, a mint from after lunch, the lingering flavour of this morning’s coffee. Name one thing you can taste and say it out loud. If you can’t taste anything, name one of your favourite flavours.

To end, take another deep breath. By now, you should hopefully be feeling a bit calmer.

If you’re still struggling with anxiety, try a technique like box breathing