5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Worksheet Overview
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique uses your five senses to bring your attention back to the here and now. It can help when anxiety or a painful memory pulls your mind into the future or the past.
This worksheet guides you through each sense in turn, with example answers and space to write your own. It ends with a before and after rating so you can see how you feel.
In this worksheet, we’ll:
- Walk you through naming five things you can see and four you can touch
- Guide you to notice three sounds, two smells, and one taste
- Explain why using your senses can move your attention away from worry
- Give you a tip for when you cannot find a smell or a taste
- Provide a scale to rate your anxiety before and after
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Najavits, L. M. (2002). Seeking safety: A treatment manual for PTSD and substance abuse. Guilford Press.
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Lenz, A. S., Henesy, R., & Callender, K. (2016). Effectiveness of Seeking Safety for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(1), 51-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12061
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Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169-183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555
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