SOS · 2 min
SOS · Grounding 5-4-3-2-1
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Thoughts spinning, or feeling far away? Bring attention back to the room through your senses. Slowly, with detail.
Before you start
- If you often feel detached from your body or surroundings for long periods, grounding may help in the moment, but please also talk to a professional about it.
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Step 1 of 6
Look around. Name FIVE things you can SEE. Slowly. Add a colour to each.
0:30
Step 2 of 6
Name FOUR things you can FEEL: feet on the floor, fabric on your skin, the air, the surface under your hands.
0:25
Step 3 of 6
Name THREE things you can HEAR — near and far.
0:20
Step 4 of 6
Name TWO things you can SMELL — or two smells you like.
0:15
Step 5 of 6
Name ONE thing you can TASTE. Sip water if you have it.
0:15
Step 6 of 6
Press your feet into the floor for three ordinary breaths. You are here. Now.
0:15
Safety note. Grounding is for steadying yourself. If feelings of unreality are frequent, long-lasting or frightening, that deserves support from a professional. If you feel unsafe right now, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.
Why this works
clinical-practice Sensory grounding is a widely taught stabilisation and distress-tolerance skill. Evidence is practice-based rather than from trials of the technique alone; it is low-risk and used here as a brief anchor.