17/10/2021
Stress and anxiety are often the biggest obstacles when it comes to important moments in our lives.
While situations such as receiving a promotion at work, taking final exams, going on a flight, and performing in a sports competition can be exciting and positive experiences, without proper stress management, the fear of failure and need for success can have a negative impact on not only the results, but our long-term health.
Anxiety is always characterized by one thing: it pulls you out of the present moment. When we’re consumed with worry, stress and anxiety, it’s our thoughts that race. The human mind, marvellous machine that it is, can conjure up a whole universe of possible scenarios, terrifying outcomes, fears and “what ifs.” But, most of this “thought traffic” inhabits either the past or the future – not the present.
That’s where the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique comes in, as it is designed to ease your state of mind so that you can get through stressful moments.
Like gradually attaching anchors to the boat, this method slowly pulls you back to earth. The goal with this exercise is to use the five senses to focus on the moment and avoid multiple anxious thoughts that can get in the way of your progress.