5 4 3 2 1 Grounding for this #WellnessWednesday

[alexandraisobsessed]

Good morning!

For this Wellness Wednesday I wanted to share an awesome little grounding technique I stumbled upon quite by accident.

5 4 3 2 1 is a DBT skill I learned during my trauma therapy to help stay grounded when triggered, but I use it often with OCD/Anxiety. I like to use it when I'm actively executing a planned exposure or in a situation where I'm exposed and my distress has increased.

At first, it seemed a little silly, but when I'm able to take a pause and then name 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 significantly decreases my distress by bringing my attention back to the present. Once I'm grounded, I normally find that the worst of my distress has passed and I was able to tolerate my trigger in a mindful and intentional manner.

Will you be giving this a try?

What other tips do you have for staying present?

Have a wonderful day!

Alex

#wellnesswednesday