Get Grounded Through the 5 Senses

 Have you ever felt so anxious that you couldn’t “rationalize” your way out of it? Maybe you tried to challenge your thoughts, disidentify with them, or outright dismiss the validity of them… all to no avail? 

 While utilizing our prefrontal cortex’s astounding ability to reason and problem-solve is a crucial component in managing our response to stressors, we often ignore our physiology in the process! 

 The nervous system, made up of all the nerve cells in our body, allows us to experience the world around us. Our nervous system processes information from our surroundings primarily through input from sensory organs such as our eyes, skin, ears, nose, and tongue. Our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is the part of our nervous system that we often associate with the feeling of anxiety (or lack thereof). Check out my blog on 5 Ways to Regulate the Nervous System to learn more about the two parts of the ANS: the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest). While the ANS works involuntarily to regulate processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and digestion, we can voluntarily tap into our senses to ground ourselves when we feel dysregulated. 

 How to Tap into the 5 Senses to Get Grounded: 

 Start by noticing 5 things you can see around you. As you scan your environment, identify the colors, shapes, tones, textures, and hues of what you can see. As humans, we primarily use our sense of sight to gather information about our surroundings, so it’s a great place to start as you ease into connecting to the other senses.

Now move on to 4 things you can touch. You can start by feeling your feet on the ground (if you’re barefoot most of the time, like me!) or the sensation of rubbing the tips of your fingers against your thumbs. One of my favorite ways to tap into this sense is through Supportive Touch, which can look like cradling your face in your hands or embracing yourself in a hug! These acts help boost oxytocin and signal to the nervous system that you are safe and secure.

Next, move on to 3 things you can hear in your immediate surroundings. Maybe you hear cars driving by, tree branches swaying with the wind, or birds chirping. Notice the pitch, intensity, frequency, and duration of these sounds. Another method to tap into sound for healing and grounded purposes is through music. Put on a calming song and draw your attention to the sound of each instrument.

 Now focus on 2 things you can smell. Perhaps you can smell the coffee in the mug beside you, a candle with a fragrance you love, or freshly cut grass if you’re outside. Our olfactory bulb (where our brain processes smell) has direct connections to our amygdala (where our brain processes emotion) and our hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory and cognition). Try to conjure up a list of smells that you associate with calm memories. Surround yourself with these smells, and even carry them around in your bag in the form of essential oils or tea bags if you’re on the go!

 Finally, draw your attention to 1 thing you can taste. This one usually has to be done more deliberately if you aren’t chewing gum, sipping on a drink, or eating. If you are, try to notice the distinct flavors and savor them with mindful attention.

 This technique can be used in a myriad of ways and settings – you can choose to focus on one of the senses or progress through all five. You can practice this as part of your morning ritual or your evening wind-down. Whichever way you choose to integrate this practice into your life, it will provide monumental benefits to your ability to drop into the present moment, become more in tune with your somatic experience, and manage the physiological symptoms of anxiety. 

For additional support in managing and understanding anxiety, you can get in touch with our Client Care Coordinator to book a session with one of our therapists on the Root to Rise team!

With gratitude,

Atalie Abramovici, AMFT