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Technique

Draft — not clinically reviewed yet

Grounding (5-4-3-2-1)

Orient to the present through senses — useful when anxiety spikes or the mind races ahead of the body.

Source: Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

For learning and reflection — not diagnosis or treatment. Willow isn't your therapist or crisis line. Based on Sokol & Fox (2019). In crisis? See crisis resources or findahelpline.com.

For learning only — not a treatment plan. For exposure, trauma, or medication questions, work with a clinician.

What it is

Grounding pulls attention to right now — especially when anxiety or sleep rumination pulls you into the future.

5-4-3-2-1 exercise

Notice and name:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel (touch)
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste

Go slowly. There is no grade.

When it fits

  • Before cognitive work when activation is high
  • At night when the mind will not stop (pair with worry postponement)
  • Not as a replacement for exposure therapy for phobias — that needs clinician oversight

After grounding

Once intensity drops slightly, you can examine the automatic thought with a thought record or one Socratic question.

Try it next

Say where you are (roughly) — Willow can guide one slow pass through the senses.

From the guide

  • Grounding orients attention to the present when predictions run ahead of the body.

    — Anxiety and grounding; Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

From the guide

We couldn't pull book excerpts right now. The summary above still follows the same source material.

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