Learn How to Count

Hello Reader,

How’s it going today, Reader?

“Horrible! My emotions keep coming up very heavy and strong! I am starting to understand where these emotions are coming from, but it appears that I can’t do anything about it!” – Reader.

Wow! That escalated quickly. I’m so sorry about that! That sounds like it is horrible to deal with right now! Let’s look into another skill that might help. It’s called the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique.

When we have a perceived threat, our body reacts to try to survive. It often feels like there is an urgency to change the situation. This grounding technique is a skill that can help but we have to be strategic with it and follow it up with a few other skills. Therefore, it is important to practice your mental health skills outside of an escalated emotional state.

“Okay I hear you. Practice before the game, right?” – Reader.

Exactly! When escalated, the brain shifts away from the prefrontal cortex and into the amygdala. Thus, wanting to react instead of responding to the situation. We might be more irrational in those moments and say or do things that we won't usually do. You need to get back into the present moment. By changing your physiology, your mind will often follow. One way to do this is by the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique.

This is done by, as always, starting with taking a deep breath and not rushing through the exercise. Take your time with it.

5) Find five things you can see around you. Take your time to notice something that you don’t often notice. This might be the details of a cup in front of you or the cracks in the ground. Take a deep, strategic, breath once completed then move to four.

4) Find four things you can feel and feel them slowly. Take your time with this and feel it with every finger. You can even feel those items with the back of your hand and notice the difference. If you think you are going slow, go even slower. Take a deep, strategic, breath and then move to three.

3) Find three things you can hear. You might have to really be still for this. Keep breathing normally while you focus on your hearing. Can you hear the fan or the clock? What about your breath? If there is a song playing around you, notice the different instruments. Take a deep, strategic, breath. After, move onto two.

2) Find two things you can smell. This could be a cup of coffee? What about a book? Take your time with this. Notice the difference in the smells. Take that deep, strategic, breath and move to one.

1) Find one thing you can taste. Be safe with this! It might be water or just tasting your saliva. Maybe go to the kitchen and take a bite of an apple. Take your time with this and breath through the exercise. Once completed, you might have to splash your face with water and change the environment you are in to stay grounded.

This is not a solution to the problem. This is not a way to avoid your feelings and emotions. It will help you get a bit more control of any heavy feelings and emotions. This is why it is important to understand and be curious about your feelings and emotions.

Practice this skill each day so when you do experience strong feelings and emotions, it becomes natural to ground yourself. The skill around your words is going to be very helpful after getting grounded. I’ll be talking about words in the next blog post so keep an eye out for it.

Key takeaways

1)      When experiencing strong emotions, the mind does not think rationally. This is why it is important to practice grounding skills prior to the escalations.

2)      When feelings and emotions are heavy, we often have to find ways to get into the present moment that way we don’t act irrationally.

3)      One of these grounding techniques is known as the, 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique. This is a skill to practice with getting your body back into the present moment.

4)      Five things you can see. Four things you can touch. Three things you can hear. Two things you can smell. One thing you can taste.

5)      Again, this doesn’t solve your problem but it does help you respond instead of react.