Sensory Integration Education

This sensory-based grounding technique can help with anxiety and is here clearly explained and illustrated by Emily of @21andsensory. Emily is 27 and has Sensory Processing Disorder (diagnosed aged 8) and is Autistic (diagnosed aged 25). Emily is the person behind @21andsensory online and is an illustrator, graphic designer and podcaster who lives and works in the UK. Via @21andsensory, Emily enjoys discussing and drawing all about her life as a sensory-being! We’re grateful for her permission to republish this post from her blog:

“Hi everyone I’m back again with another lil’ drawing of a very sensory based grounding technique I find useful when I am anxious. You may have heard of it before, it’s usually referred to as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. I find it useful because I am (obviously) a highly sensitive individual and it distracts me to tune into each sense separately (might be hard to do in a busy situation but I find it helps in most other situations!). It just turns your thoughts entirely to your senses and off cycling and worrying thoughts even if it’s only briefly. Below are some pointers that might help you…

5. “Really look for 5 things you can see: what’s in front of you? Really look and pick out some small details, maybe it’s a wooden surface which you can see the grain of, your own hands and your fingerprints, the fabric of some curtains and the way they hang, the specific colour within something like a hanging picture, what’s pleasing or not so pleasing to look at?

4. “Feel 4 things with your hands or even feet as you walk (please be careful in these COVID times with this though!) the fabric of your own clothes, the seat you are on, if outside the grass or pavement or brick wall you pass by. Even just the sensation of your feet within your shoes, try and really tune into that feeling.

3. “Acknowledge 3 things you can hear right now. Can you hear traffic in the distance? Conversations going on a couple of rooms away? What can you tune into? Even if it’s a ticking clock, sound of a pet pottering about…

2. “What 2 things can you smell? Maybe it’s your own deodorant, perfume or aftershave…or someone else’s? Or the smell of a room, cooking smells, air freshener or cleaning smells, etc. Is there any sort of smell to the air surrounding you?

1. “Can you taste anything? Even if it’s a drink you’ve just had or something you’ve eaten is there any taste at all in your mouth?"

Check out @21andsensory on Instagram and her blog.

Are you a therapist looking for more self-regulation techniques for the people you care for? See this upcoming course by renowned lecturer Dr. Varleisha Gibbs PhD, OTR/L,  Vice President of Practice Engagement and Capacity Building at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Dr Gibbs is presenting a live online course (recording available) on Self Regulation and Mindfulness.