If you’ve experienced moments or days of anxiety, you know it can cause unnerving sensations and manifest in your body. Anxiety can lead to many uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, restlessness, sweating, and a racing heartbeat- just to name a few. Luckily, there are so many proven techniques and exercises you can try to bring yourself back to a place of comfort and rest. Get ready to relax: we’re going to dive into how you can bring awareness back to the present and free the trapped anxiety in your body through acknowledging and soothing your five senses (sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste).
You may have heard of the 5 senses grounding technique, also known as the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, which is a method you can use to calm your anxiety and ground yourself and your emotions. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste, according to Therapist Aid.
Essentially, the point of this exercise and similar ones is to help you gain physical awareness of your body and identify exactly what and how you are feeling. Focusing on your sensations and surroundings also helps you to distance yourself from ruminating thoughts that may be contributing to your anxiety. Checking in with your senses reminds you that you are here in the present moment and that you are safe.
But what if we take it a step further? Instead of just bringing awareness to each of your five senses, do something to soothe each of them. Here are a few ways I like to soothe each of my five senses in times of anxiety.
1. Sight
What brings you the most joy to look at or watch? Turn on a favorite TV show or movie that gives you that comfortable familiar feeling. Go through some old photographs, whether they be printed out in a scrapbook or stored somewhere in the magical virtual cloud. Take a walk or a bike ride somewhere bright, scenic, and quiet (unless you’re in the mood to people-watch- that could be fun, too). Sunshine is proven to lift our mood, so in my opinion, you can never get enough of it.
2. Touch
Touch is definitely one of the most underrated senses. Snuggling a pet or fluffy pillow, wrapping yourself in a warm fuzzy robe, or making yourself into a human burrito with a thick blanket can make you feel like you’re getting a giant hug. Weighted blankets could also provide you an extra dose of comfort by applying deep pressure to your body, which might help you sleep better, too.
Another super comforting feeling is warm water engulfing your body in the shower or bath. Try to close your eyes and take a moment to enjoy how good it feels on your skin. Heat is something that I find really comforting, so I also love to lay in bed with a heat pad resting on my stomach or back (and a pair of fuzzy socks on, of course). It’s allllll about comfort and whatever makes your body feel most relaxed.
3. Hearing
Sometimes when you’re anxious, lots of noise can add to your body’s feeling of panic and unrest. Turn off any noise that is not contributing to a calm state of mind, like the sound of a dripping faucet, buzzing electronics, or those neighbors you always hear arguing downstairs (if that last one is the case, try and go somewhere quiet for the time being). Listening to a favorite album or letting an old show play on the TV (even if you’re not watching it) can be comforting because the sounds are familiar and predictable. Walking outside and listening to the sounds of nature is something else that can be really grounding and also help to clear your head. If you’ve been missing an old friend or family member, push yourself to pick up the phone and give them a call. Hearing the voices of your loved ones can make you smile and help remind you how loved and appreciated you are.
4. Smell
One of the first things I do when I’m having an anxious moment or day is light a candle. You can buy aromatherapy candles with essential oils like lavender, sage, bergamot, and Ylang-ylang, which have all been shown to possibly aid in stress relief. Another thing that will make your nose happy is the spicy and sizzling aroma of tonight’s dinner or the smell of a freshly-baked batch of your most craved cookies. Cooking involves smelling all kinds of things throughout the process, and it can be a nice project to distract yourself from your anxious state (and what’s more comforting than a home-cooked meal?).
5. Taste
Food is good for the soul, and everyone knows it. We all find comfort diving into a plate of cheesy pasta or sticking our spoons into a creamy tub of ice creamW. Comfort-eating is often shamed, and we are taught never to go to food in response to our emotions. Pardon my language, but that is some B.S. There is nothing wrong with grabbing takeout from your favorite place on a day when you’re just feeling too frazzled and time-constrained to cook. There’s also nothing wrong with grabbing a box of Lucky Charms or a party-size bag of Lay’s at the grocery store when you’re having an anxiety-filled week. Your body might also be craving something healthy that will make you feel better physically, like a bowl of fresh fruit or a chopped salad. Whatever you choose to nourish your body, make sure to savor each bite and unique flavor.
It’s crucial to always listen to your body and what it’s telling you when you’re going through bouts of anxiety. Just remember- this too shall pass.