Regulate Your Nervous System: The 5,4,3,2,1 Grounding Method

Happy October! In honor of spooky season, I want to take time to talk about your nervous system; what it is and what to do if/when it becomes dysregulated (whether it be via mental health battles or from all the things that can come with the spooky season).

In sessions with my clients, and throughout many of my blog articles and Best Self Therapy YouTube videos, I hit on the concept of regulating the nervous system. When working with mental health battles such as anxiety, depression or trauma, the nervous system can become highly dysregulated as a defense mechanism (i.e. your body is protecting you). And while this is a common experience, it’s not uncommon to have uncertainty around what the concept means, how it impacts you and what can be done to cope with a dysregulated nervous system.

The purpose of this month’s blog is to remove the uncertainty and instill confidence in your ability to navigate a highetened nervous system. I will highlight some educational information to know about the nervous system, how dysregulation might manifest, and how to regulate your nervous system.

Nervous system education

While many of us have heard the term nervous system (and more than likely learned about it back in your high school health class…whenever that may have been for you), it’s worth doing a little educational review. Here are the important pieces you need to know for the purpose of this blog article:

• There is only one nervous system in the body however, there are subsystems (central and peripheral) of your nervous system. For the purpose of this blog, we will be focusing on the central nervous system.

• The central nervous system is comprised of organs such as the brain, spinal cord, and various nerves

• It is the home of all mental activity including: thoughts, learning and memory

• It’s job = sending signals to the body/brain about your surroundings (both external and internal)

The overall purpose of your nervous system is to keep you (mentally, emotionally and physically) at a safe and comfortable baseline. Otherwise known as, homeostasis.

dysregulated nervous system manifestation

When you are no longer at that baseline, or homeostasis, your nervous system has been activated and/or heightened. So how does your nervous system become dysregulated? And when it is, what does it look like? Typically, the most common elements (in a therapeutic/mental health realm) that can result in a heightened nervous system are:

• Encountering situations (environmentally or socially/relationally) that trigger trauma responses or past trauma history, and

• Intense emotional experiences (whether they’re attached to grief, relational distress, or other mental health battles)

When the nervous system is dysregulated, it can manifest in a number of different ways; it’s going to vary from person to person (as most things do with mental health because we are all unique). However, a few of the common manifestations are:

• Restlessness

• Emotional distress

• Shortness of breath or labored breathing

• Racing heart

• Dissociation (in extreme cases)

Grounding: regulate your nervous system

There are many different techniques and exercises that can be implemented to assist with regulating your nervous system when heightened; such as deep breathing. One of the easiest and most common exercises I provided to clients is the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding method. Before I describe this exercise and walk you through how to engage in it, I want to first cover when and why you might use this grounding exercise.

grounding: When & Why do i use it?

Of course, I encourage you to utilize grounding when you are feeling any of the above experiences (or whatever you’ve identified as your experience) of a dysregulated nervous system. However, if grounding is not a regular practice, it may not be natural for you to turn to it in a time of need. With that, I encourage clients (and will encourage you) to practice grounding and mindfulness on a regular basis so it becomes more habitual; resulting in you turning to it a little quicker in times of distress.

So why do you even want to make grounding and mindfulness a regular practice? To regulate the nervous system, of course. But it’s also utilized to help get you in your present moment. Depression is based in the past, anxiety is based in the future; and your present moment (for the most part) is safe. Grounding allows you to get in your current safe space.

grounding: The 5,4,3,2,1 grounding method

Okay! Let’s get to the good stuff. You know what grounding is and why you might use it. Now, let’s get you a quick and easy tool that you can begin using today. To ensure you are getting the maximum benefit out of this exercise, I encourage you to find a quiet safe space free from distractions (and any possible triggers). Once you’re there, start with taking 3 deep breaths. When you’re ready, look at your surroundings and list the following:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can hear

• 3 things you can touch

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

I encourage you to describe what you’re seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting in detail. For example, if you’re seeing a tree in front of you, describe what kind of tree; what color are the leaves (if it has them); does it have a texture? Is it standing straight or is it tilted? Is it still or is it swaying in the wind? Get as detailed as you can!

The idea of this exercise (in addition to rooting you in your present moment) is you can’t describe your surroundings in detail and actively think about the anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, etc. at the same time. Grounding encourages regulation of your nervous system; allowing you to experience relief and move forward more effectively.

If this is a new practice for you, be patient with yourself. It takes time to get into a rhythm when you are trying new things. If you find it doesn’t work right away, that’s okay. Give it another try. If you discover after regularly implementing it that it’s still not working, it might be worth exploring why it’s not working and how you might want to personalize it to fit you and your needs. The beauty about most mental health skills/tools/exercise is you get to adapt it to fit YOU!

If you’d like guidance on improving your grounding and mindfulness practice, you may schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation below!

Here’s to living a better life as your best self.

Brittany Squillace, MA, LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Grief Counselor