In today's wellness-obsessed world, the pursuit of calm has become an expensive goal – which is precisely why I decided to try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique. It's free, simple to do and doesn't involve yoga mats or the smug smile of a lycra-clad wellness guru.
Anxiety is on the rise, with an estimated 301 million people globally suffering from feelings of overwhelm. I'm one of them.
I had my first panic attack after my flat was broken into seven years ago and for months afterwards, my life was ruled by these sudden anxiety spirals. I vividly remember once being pinned to the floor of a toilet cubicle at work, sobbing and choking uncontrollably as my body shook and the room spun at a dizzying speed.
I went through a version of this again recently, triggered by the devastating decision to put my beloved 16-year-old rescue cat, Nelly, to sleep when she became very sick.
It was like I'd tripped a switch. My body defaulted to a previous, remembered reaction and like clockwork I'd wake up around 2am every night sweating, my chest tight and my breathing so laboured it was like I was gasping for lungfuls of air underwater.
Eventually, the logical part of my brain kicked in and I knew things couldn't go on as they were.
A little transition ritual can shift your brain into chill mode.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
I came upon the technique purely by chance, after Googling “how to calm down quickly”. It's a type of mindfulness exercise that helps you to relax and breath normally again – but, mercifully, without actually thinking about your breath or doing complicated breathwork exercises.
Rather, the idea is to engage all five senses by identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste – hence the name.
How does it work?
When you experience stress or anxiety, your body's fight or flight system is activated. “Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which enables the fight-or-flight response," says Kelly Weekers, a psychologist and author of Choosing Me. "It’s when our senses become hyper-alert, the adrenaline courses through our veins and our breathing becomes high, shallow and rapid.”
By harnessing the power of your five senses – sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste – the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique is designed to dial down this adrenaline and calm the nervous system by bringing you back to the here and now.
“It helps you to regain control of your thoughts by shifting your attention from a negative, ruminating mindset to a calm and observing one,” says Kelly. “Once we reconnect with the present moment by shifting our focus, we interrupt our stress response and the parasympathetic nervous system gets activated, which makes us relax.
“Not only do our muscles relax, our digestive system also works optimally, our heart beats slow and steady, and our breathing becomes deeper,” she continues. "It will help you to make the right decisions from a grounded point of view, which will automatically have a positive impact on both your future and your thoughts about the past.”
If TikTok has you confused about the stress hormone, read on.
Lying in bed, I'd focus on the streetlight I could see outside my window, how my bedsheets felt cool to the touch, the distant hum of traffic, the delicate scent of rose from the Diptyque candle on my bedside table and the minty taste of toothpaste in my mouth (although, truthfully, this last one is the hardest to tap into unless you've recently eaten or drunk something).
I soon found I was able to regulate my breathing by just focusing on the tasks at hand. Better still, I can do the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique anywhere – even on the train to work – and anytime I need some extra support.
They say writing about a traumatic experience also helps, with studies showing it can boost wellbeing and even potentially trigger an immune response.
So here I am, hoping that writing about a powerful 60-second mindfulness technique and the difference it has made, will also heal a broken heart.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
