Five senses

Five senses. This is a grounding practice. It uses what is around you right now to bring your attention out of your thoughts and into the room. You can do it with your eyes open. For this one, eyes open works best. Sit or stand, whichever is easier. Take one slow breath out.

First, sight. Look around and find five things you can see. Name them to yourself, one at a time. A door. A fan. The pattern on the floor. A bottle on the table. Anything at all. Look at each one for a moment before you move to the next.

If you have found five, good. If you found fewer, that is also fine. Let's move on.

Next, touch. Find four things you can feel. The chair under you. Your feet inside your shoes. The air on your face. The cloth of your sleeve between your fingers. Press or touch each one for a moment and notice what it feels like. Rough or smooth. Warm or cool.

Now, hearing. Find three sounds. Near or far. A vehicle outside, a bird, the hum of a machine, your own breath. Let each sound come to you. You do not have to go looking for it.

Then, smell. Find two things you can smell. If the room has no smell you can notice, you might smell the back of your hand, your sleeve, or a cup of tea nearby. Or simply remember two smells you like.

And last, taste. One thing you can taste. The taste in your mouth right now, or a sip of water, or the memory of something you ate today.

Take a slow breath in.

And a slower breath out.

Notice where your attention is now. A minute ago it may have been far away, in a worry or a memory. Now it is here, in this room, with these five things, four things, three, two, one.

If the mind pulled you back into thoughts partway through, that is normal. Thoughts are sticky. You can start the count again from five whenever you like, and you can do this as many times a day as you need.

One more round, a little faster, on your own. Five things you can see.

Four you can feel.

Three you can hear.

Two you can smell.

One you can taste.

And a slow breath out.

That is the practice. Carry on with your day from here.