Grounding exercise instructions
Take a few minutes to sit and follow these steps.
5 things you can see – Name 5 things that you can see around you e.g. I can see my laptop, a plant outside the window, a pencil, a shoe and my phone.
4 things you can touch – Name and describe 4 things that you can touch. I can feel the warmth of my socks against my feet; the smooth, hard roughness of a wall; the sharp coldness of a key; or feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.
3 things you can hear – Name 3 things that you can hear, close by and in the distance. I can hear the ticking of a clock; a bird tweeting; or people talking outside.
2 things you can smell – Name 2 things that you can smell. You may need to move around to find something to sniff e.g. a plant. Even ordinary things like a tissue box of a glass of water have a smell. If that’s not possible, just think of two of your favourite smells and imagine sniffing them.
Breathe in and out slowly: This should allow you to feel in the present and more grounded. Notice how your breath gets deeper and calmer.