The '5 senses' technique is a coping tool for stressful situations. Also known as the '5,4,3,2,1' technique, it helps to ease anxiety by encouraging you to focus on the present moment. The technique works by connecting you with each of your five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste.
The “5-4-3-2-1” tool is a simple yet effective method for regaining control of your mind when anxiety threatens to take over - and it consists of more than counting backwards from five. Rather, the hack helps bring us back to the present by relying on our five senses - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
Grounding techniques
“I look around to find 5 things I can see, 4 things I can touch, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste. It's called grounding.” – Sam A. “Grounding techniques….
By incorporating all 5 senses it can take a person from a flashback, or panic attack back to the present moment. Pick out five things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things that you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
The 333 rule is a grounding technique that redirects attention from intense and uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety like worry, unwanted thoughts, or even panic to the present by shifting focus to three bodily senses: sight, hearing and touch/movement.
It is based on the three "C's" of recovery calm your body, correct your thinking, and confront your fears.
In a series of graphics, Earnshaw breaks down the 4 Rs: relabeling, reattributing, refocusing, and revaluing—a therapy technique developed by psychology Jeffrey Schwartz that's often used in treatment for OCD.
The cycle of anxiety is a 4-stage process that may cause you to feel anxious, avoid situations, find short-term relief, and experience stronger anxiety thereafter. This may become a “vicious cycle” that's challenging to navigate, especially for those who lean into avoidance strategies.
The same fraught, jumpy relationship with the world that stresses out anxious folks may also give them a sixth sense for danger, a kind of neurotic Spidey-sense. French researchers have found that anxious people process threats using a different part of the brain than more relaxed folks.
Sit quietly.
5 things you can see: Your hands, the sky, a plant on your colleague's desk. 4 things you can physically feel: Your feet on the ground, a ball, your friend's hand. 3 things you can hear: The wind blowing, children's laughter, your breath.
Bite into a lemon
It may sound bizarre, but many people suffering from panic disorders have had surprising success with this method. The shock to your senses that a bitter lemon provides forces your body to pull its attention away from a panic attack and focus more on one thing: "Wow, this is a really sour lemon!"
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, intensely aware of where you are and what you're doing. Mindfulness activities like meditation and mindful breathing can help you engage your senses. For example, mindful breathing helps you improve your interoceptive awareness.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
Some ways to manage anxiety disorders include learning about anxiety, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, correct breathing techniques, dietary adjustments, exercise, learning to be assertive, building self-esteem, cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, structured problem solving, medication and support groups.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective form of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. Generally a short-term treatment, CBT focuses on teaching you specific skills to improve your symptoms and gradually return to the activities you've avoided because of anxiety.
It describes the arrival of a “core fear” — one's overriding interpretation of life as dangerous, and a “chief defense” — one's primary strategy for protecting oneself from that danger. The core fear and chief defense create a singular dynamic that, according to the model, is the true wellspring of basic anxiety.
The ABCtracker™, an acronym for Alarm, Belief, Coping, helps users recognize and monitor anxiety triggers. Using the ABCs of Anxiety, you can master your uncomfortable feelings with help from your physician, psychologist, or another healthcare professional.
Blueberries
When we're anxious and stressed, our bodies crave vitamin C to help repair and protect our cells, and blueberries are packed full of it. Small but mighty, blueberries are bursting with antioxidants and vitamin C that have been shown to provide anxiety relief.
Make these foods a part of your anti-anxiety diet
Examples include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard. Other sources include legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety.