Using the 5 Senses Grounding Exercise to Calm Down Quickly

By Tara Rullo, LCSW

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need a moment of peace, this exercise can help you find your center.

Grounding exercises are powerful tools for managing anxiety and stress because they help anchor you in the present moment. When anxiety strikes, it often pulls you into a spiral of racing thoughts, worries, or fears about the future. This mental state can feel overwhelming and disorienting, making it difficult to focus, find calm or even orient to your surroundings.
Grounding exercises work by shifting your attention away from these anxious thoughts and reconnecting you with your physical surroundings.

By engaging your five senses, this grounding technique activates the parts of your brain responsible for processing sensory information, which helps to interrupt the cycle of anxious thinking and brings you back to the here and now.

This focus on the present moment can also help regulate your nervous system. When you concentrate on what you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste, you engage your parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your body that calms you down after stress. This helps to slow your heart rate, reduce muscle tension, and bring your body into a more relaxed state.

In essence, grounding exercises help you regain control over your mind and body, making it easier to manage anxiety and stress.

Getting Started

Begin by finding a comfortable position, either sitting or standing. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, gently close your eyes. Let’s take another deep breath together—inhale slowly and exhale fully, allowing your body to relax.

Now, open your eyes, and let’s start engaging each of your five senses.

1. Sight

Look around you and name five things that you can see. Try to choose objects with different colors or shapes. For example, you might notice a blue book, a green plant, a white cloud in the sky, a brightly colored painting, and a black computer. Really take in the details of what you see.

2. Touch

Next, notice four things that you can feel. This could be the texture of your clothing, the coolness of the air on your skin, the surface you are sitting or standing on, or the feeling of an object you can reach and touch. Pay attention to each texture or sensation—whether it’s smooth, rough, soft, or hard.

3. Hearing

Now, focus on what you can hear. Identify three sounds around you. It might be the low hum of traffic, the whir of a fan or computer, birds chirping outside, or voices in the distance. Concentrate on distinguishing each sound.

4. Smell

Take a moment to notice two scents. If you’re indoors, you might detect the aroma of coffee, food, or perhaps the scent of a candle or lotion. If nothing stands out, try picking up an object like a pillow or simply take a deep breath to smell the freshness of the air.

5. Taste

Lastly, focus on one thing you can taste. It could be the lingering flavor of a meal or drink, or you might take a sip of water or a small snack and notice the taste it leaves in your mouth.

Bringing It All Together

Now, take another deep breath, and as you exhale, feel more present and grounded. Observe the overall sensory experience of your environment and notice how your body feels in this moment.

Concluding the Exercise

When you’re ready, bring the exercise to a close. Take a final deep breath, and as you release it, feel the calmness and grounding of the moment.