grounding technique (also known as 5-4-3-2-1)

My sweet Piper has absolutely without doubt been such a light in my life already! She has been such a joy for my students as well.

I use the grounding technique with my students ALL THE TIME & they love getting to say “Piper” for something that they can feel. Since it’s been so beneficial for me (even on a personal level), I thought I’d share this technique with y’all on this fabulous Monday!

Example at school in my office:
SEE: my desk, my bookshelf, my pictures, my coffee bar, my rug
TOUCH / FEEL: my sweater, my glasses, my shoes, Piper ;)
HEAR: kitchen ladies preparing lunch, students in the hallway, my space heater blowing
SMELL: my coffee, my scentsy
GOOD THING: I am a hard worker

Purpose: Engaging all of your senses allows both your body & your brain to start thinking of other things besides your racing heart, difficulty to breathe, etc.

Sometimes going through grounding just once is all you need, other times you may need to keep repeating it. Another option is closing your eyes once you've identified the five things you can see. This makes your other four senses have to engage even more.

This technique works best for anxious habits, however, I have one student who uses it in class when he's mad (the goal is to stay in class & see if he can regulate himself) & another student who uses it in class when she gets sad (again, the goal being self-regulation). Both of these students are able to walk through the technique themselves, but I have others who like to come down to my office to be guided through it, just as a personal preference.

Disclaimer — I did not create this technique.