Short spoken guidance describing a grounding/mindfulness exercise (the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method) to reduce overwhelming anxiety by directing attention to sensory anchors — five visible things, four tactile, three audible, two olfactory, and one taste — to return to the present moment. The content is instructional and intended for immediate use during acute anxiety or compulsive urges.
If the anxiety feels really overwhelming, grounding or mindful techniques are really, really helpful. You're going to take a moment here to recognize five things that you see in your environment. Look around and name them. This is called the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method. Next, you're going to recognize four things that you can touch. Go about touching the surface next to you or in front of you, touch your computer, touch your phone, touch your leg. Four things and name those. Then you're going to recognize three things that you can hear, two things that you can smell, and one thing that you can taste. When you do this, you're bringing yourself back into the present moment and getting yourself out of your head and out of your feelings, which is what we need to do in these moments.
