Sensory Help Now

This sensory-based grounding technique can help with anxiety and is clearly explained and illustrated by Emily of @21andsensory. Emily is autistic and has sensory processing differences. Emily is the person behind @21andsensory online and is an illustrator, graphic designer and podcaster who lives and works in the UK. Via @21andsensory, Emily enjoys discussing and drawing all about her life as a sensory being! We're grateful for Emily sharing this post from her blog with our parent-organisation Sensory Integration Education: 

“Hi everyone, I’m back again with another lil’ drawing of a very sensory-based grounding technique I find useful when I am anxious. You may have heard of it before, it’s usually referred to as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. I find it useful because I am (obviously) a highly sensitive individual and it distracts me to tune into each sense separately (might be hard to do in a busy situation but I find it helps in most other situations!). It just turns your thoughts entirely to your senses and off cycling and worrying thoughts even if it’s only briefly. Below are some pointers that might help you…

5. “Really look for 5 things you can see: what’s in front of you? Really look and pick out some small details, maybe it’s a wooden surface which you can see the grain of, your own hands and your fingerprints, the fabric of some curtains and the way they hang, the specific colour within something like a hanging picture, what’s pleasing or not so pleasing to look at?

4. “Feel 4 things with your hands or even feet as you walk (please be careful in these COVID times with this though!) the fabric of your own clothes, the seat you are on, if outside the grass or pavement or brick wall you pass by. Even just the sensation of your feet within your shoes, try and really tune into that feeling.

3. “Acknowledge 3 things you can hear right now. Can you hear traffic in the distance? Conversations going on a couple of rooms away? What can you tune into? Even if it’s a ticking clock, sound of a pet pottering about…

2. “What 2 things can you smell? Maybe it’s your own deodorant, perfume or aftershave…or someone else’s? Or the smell of a room, cooking smells, air freshener or cleaning smells, etc. Is there any sort of smell to the air surrounding you?

1. “Can you taste anything? Even if it’s a drink you’ve just had or something you’ve eaten is there any taste at all in your mouth?"

Check out @21andsensory on Instagram and her blog. You can learn more regulating and calming strategies via Sensory Help Now's short courses for parents and carers. Find out more about the Sensory Help Now service here.