Module 5: Approaching Flares
5 Senses Practice
The 5 Senses Practice is a simple yet effective grounding technique that helps regulate the nervous system by bringing your attention to the present moment through sensory awareness. By consciously engaging sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste, this practice gently redirects focus away from anxious thoughts, pain, or overwhelm and into the body’s immediate experience. This shift can help reduce feelings of stress or dissociation, calm the fight-or-flight response, and create a sense of stability and safety. Over time, regularly practicing sensory grounding can increase self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and support a greater sense of calm and connection in daily life.
How to Practice:
Try the “5-4-3-2-1” technique: Scan your environment and begin to notice these 5 things. As they come into your awareness, describe them in detail.
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Reflect on what you noticed during this practice and the state of your nervous system.
JOURNAL PROMPT
What did you notice from this practice?