Welcome!
This series offers practical,
Easy to implement tools to help you cope with symptoms of anxiety,
Stress,
And overwhelm in the here and now.
You may consider these tools not as a one-size-fits-all approach,
But rather like a menu from which you may explore and select what feels best for you and your nervous system.
The 5-4-3-2-1 coping tool we are working with today is a grounding technique that uses the five senses to help calm the nervous system.
We will begin and end this practice by using a gauge to check in with ourselves and notice how we are doing.
I invite you to do this now,
Bringing a sense of curiosity to your mind and body,
Noticing how you are without trying to change anything,
Without judging your experience.
You may use a gauge by choosing a number from 1 to 10 to represent how you are feeling,
Or perhaps something more visual like a thermometer.
You also have the option to choose something more physical like the quality of your breath.
Choosing whatever resonates with you,
Take a mental note of where you're at with your gauge right now.
Now I invite you to begin by bringing your awareness out into the space you're in and imagine as if you're experiencing this space for the very first time.
Let your eyes wander through the space,
Drawing an awareness to your sense of vision.
Finding five things that call your attention.
Perhaps they are objects that you find to be pleasant in color,
Shape,
Or texture.
When you land your awareness on an object,
Allow your eyes to simply receive the image,
Taking time to notice the details of each item with a sense of curiosity as if you are seeing with fresh eyes.
Now I invite you to draw in your sense of touch,
Finding four things that you are able to feel.
This may be with your hands,
Feeling objects that are within grasp.
Perhaps it is with your feet or your back and feeling the surfaces around you,
Such as the back of a chair or the wall or floor.
Noticing pressure,
Texture,
Perhaps feeling the fabric of your clothes or the sensation of air against your skin.
Allowing yourself to take in this sense and investigate it as if it is a brand new experience.
Now you may draw in your sense of hearing,
Finding three sounds in your environment.
Noticing what sounds are furthest away and what sounds are closer.
Taking time to distinguish each individual sound,
Observing the qualities of sound.
Is there a beginning,
Middle,
And end?
Is the sound constant?
Notice what you hear.
Now you may draw in your sense of smell,
Finding two smells in your environment.
This may or may not be available,
But allow yourself to take the time to be curious about the smells around you.
You may also consider having something nearby or keeping something with you that has a smell that you find pleasant,
Such as an essential oil in your purse,
Cinnamon in the pantry,
Freshly cut flowers or herbs.
Now I invite you to draw in your sense of taste,
Finding one taste that may or may not be available.
Perhaps there is a leftover sense of coffee or tea on your palate or something from an earlier meal.
Observing any sense of taste that is available,
Even if it is slight.
Perhaps you may consider carrying candies or mints with you to use this exercise when your nervous system needs extra grounding and support.
Wherever you're at,
I invite you to return to the gauge you used at the beginning of this practice.
Just checking in with yourself now,
Noticing if anything has shifted,
The pacing of thoughts,
The ease of the breath,
Using your gauge to help you determine if there's been a shift in the nervous system,
And allowing yourself to really take in any shifts that may have occurred.
This is a simple exercise that can be done anywhere,
Anytime.
If you find this helpful,
You may wish to keep a few items on you to engage your senses in a way that is soothing for you.
This is unique for each person,
But consider what may be easy to keep on hand like a fidget toy,
Essential oil of your favorite scent,
Your favorite gum or chocolate.
Feel free to experiment and find what works best for you.
You may return to this whenever you wish,
Or you may explore other coping tools in this series.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
