How to stop anxiety and fear is a key area I’m often asked about, so I thought I’d share another technique that helps you self-regulate when you are in a heightened emotional state. This technique helps redirect your senses, switches on your prefrontal cortex, dials back your amygdala and lessens the fight-flight-freeze response. Here are the five simple steps to ground yourself in the moment:

5 – Scan your environment for five things you can see and then visually explore their details.

4 – Name four objects you can feel or touch with your skin and explore the sensation of that.

3 – Listen for three sounds and focus on what you hear, not what you think about what you hear.

2 – Focus on two things you can smell, dig deep and find the subtle odours and scents in your environment.

1 – Search for one thing you can taste, it may be a lingering flavour, like a mint, a meal or your last cup of tea or coffee.