This is a great exercise to use when you find yourself immersed in overthinking. It’s simple and effective. And you can do it anytime, anywhere.
How To Do It
- First, take a deep breath in through your nose, hold for a second, and exhale trough your mouth.
- Now, start paying attention to your surrounding, name
- 5 things you can see (a tree, a flower, a book etc)
- 4 things you can touch (your clothes, your hair etc)
- 3 things you can hear (a car passing by, a bird chirping etc)
- 2 things you can smell (if you are not able to detect anything, you can imagine some of your favourite smells)
- 1 thing you can taste (If you don’t taste anything at his moment you can simply focus on your breath)
- Take another deep breath and notice how you feel.
Why I Like This Exercise
• Shifts your focus away from overthinking.
• Engages your senses to ground you in the here and now.
• Slows down racing thoughts and promotes calmness.
Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it.
Sharon Salzberg