The 5–4–3 Mindful Grounding Exercise

Take some time out from your normal routine to go for a walk. Before you start, try to remind
yourself of all the current problems that you have been thinking about recently about which
you feel stuck. Notice what it feels like to be in this state of being in your head. Now that you
have induced the experience of being in your head a little, begin your mindful walk.
As you walk, take a moment to broaden your awareness of what is happening around you
with your sense of sight. Now notice and label, just in your mind, five things you can see
around you: for example, I notice the cracks in the sidewalk, I notice the stop sign across the
road, and I notice the brown bark on the tree ahead. Keep going until you have noticed five
things that you see.
Once you have noticed those five things, focus your attention on your sense of hearing. Focus
on four things you can hear now: I notice the sound of the car as it drives past me, I notice the
sound of my footsteps, and I notice the sound of the wind rustling the tree’s leaves. Keep
going until you have noticed four things that you hear.
Then switch your attention to your sense of touch. Focus your attention on three things you
can feel right now: I notice the warmth of the sun on my face, I notice the feel of my hand in
my pocket, and I notice the feel of my toes pressing down on the bottom of my shoes.
Now that you have taken some time to practice broadening your externally focused attention
using these three senses, notice what has happened to whatever it was you were “stuck” with
at the beginning of the walk. What happened to that stuff when you broadened your attention
to notice the present moment? How did you feel, focusing on the present moment? How was
your concentration? Notice how this mode of processing is different from the mode that
usually gets you stuck. Consider whether this technique might have some value in building
your healthy adult mode.