How To Use The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

If your brain feels like it is full of cotton, your thoughts are scrambled, and you cannot remember simple steps, that is a very common C-PTSD response.

You are not stupid.
You are not failing.
Your nervous system is overloaded.

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique is supposed to be simple, but a lot of people with C-PTSD struggle to remember it in the moment, especially with brain fog or dissociation. This guide shows you how to use 5-4-3-2-1 when you cannot think clearly, and how to make it easier with scripts and apps.

This is for information and self support only and is not medical or psychiatric advice. If you think you might hurt yourself or someone else, contact emergency services or a local crisis line immediately.

What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique in plain language?

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a sensory grounding exercise. You gently notice:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can feel with your body
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste, or one comforting phrase

It works by pulling your attention out of flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or shame spirals, and into the room you are in right now. For C-PTSD, it is not about doing it perfectly. It is about giving your brain simple evidence that you are in the present, not in the past.

How do you start 5-4-3-2-1 when your brain is foggy?

When your brain is foggy, remembering all the numbers and senses can feel impossible. So you strip it down.

1. Start with one centering sentence: "I am having a trauma response. I am in this room, right now."
2. Pick just one sense to begin, usually sight or touch.
3. Let yourself be imperfect. If you forget the order, keep going anyway.

If all you can do is "Look for 3 things I see and 3 things I feel," that still counts as grounding. You can always add the full 5-4-3-2-1 later, when your brain comes back online a bit more.

Step by step: 5-4-3-2-1 grounding for C-PTSD

You can read this out loud or save it as a script in your phone or app.

5 things you can see

Look around slowly. Name simple facts, not judgments.

• "Blue mug on the table."
• "Crack in the ceiling paint."
• "Light from the window on the floor."
• "My shoes by the door."
• "The clock on the wall."

If you cannot reach 5, say however many you can find.

4 things you can feel

Notice what your body is touching.

• "Feet on the floor."
• "Fabric of my shirt on my shoulders."
• "Back against the chair."
• "Phone in my hand."

You can press gently into these points to make the sensation clearer.

3 things you can hear

Listen for sounds near and far.

• "Fridge humming."
• "Car passing outside."
• "My own breathing."

If it feels safe, close your eyes for a moment to hear more easily, then open them again.

2 things you can smell

If you cannot smell anything, that is still information.

• "Smell of soap on my hands."
• "Smell of the room, kind of neutral."

If you like, you can keep a scented item (tea bag, essential oil on cotton, lotion) as a grounding tool.

1 thing you can taste or one phrase

Take a sip of water or notice the taste in your mouth. Or say one sentence that feels tolerable, for example:

• "I am here."
• "This moment will pass."

You have now moved your attention through multiple senses, which helps your nervous system realize that this moment is real and separate from past danger.

What if you forget the order or lose track halfway through?

This is very normal with C-PTSD. Forgetting the steps does not mean it failed.

If you lose the sequence:

• Go back to sight and touch.
• Name three things you see and three things you feel.
• Repeat your centering sentence: "I am in this room, right now."

Think of 5-4-3-2-1 as a menu, not a test you pass or fail. You are allowed to use the parts you can remember.

How can an app make 5-4-3-2-1 easier when you cannot think?

On days when you feel more stable, set up your phone so you do not have to remember everything in a crisis. For example:

• Save a note titled "5-4-3-2-1" with the steps written out.
• Pin one or two grounding images that feel calm or neutral.
• Use an app like Unpanic, which:
  • Walks you through 5-4-3-2-1 with on screen prompts.
  • Lets you tap "triggered right now" and follow a simple path instead of hunting for tools.
  • Keeps everything short and practical so you are not reading long articles while your brain is overloaded.

The more you practice this when you are only mildly stressed, the more automatic it becomes when you are deeply triggered or foggy.

When should you move from grounding to getting more help?

Grounding should make distress at least slightly smaller or more manageable. If any of the following are true, it is time to involve another human:

• Grounding is not helping at all and you keep spiraling.
• You feel like you might hurt yourself or wish you would not wake up.
• Flashbacks or dissociation are happening so often that you cannot function at work, school, or home.

Reach out to a therapist, doctor, crisis line, or trusted person. 5-4-3-2-1 is a tool, not a full treatment plan, and you deserve real support.

FAQ: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding For C-PTSD

Is 5-4-3-2-1 safe for people with C-PTSD?

Yes. It is a low intensity, sensory based technique and is widely used for trauma grounding. If any sense feels triggering, you can skip it and focus on others.

What if focusing on my body makes me feel worse?

You can lean more on sight and sound, and keep touch very gentle, like feeling the chair under you. If body based grounding is too much, work with a trauma informed professional to find alternatives.

Do I have to do it in public if I get triggered outside?

You can adapt it to be subtle. For example, quietly naming three things you see on the bus and feeling your feet in your shoes. You do not have to say the steps out loud.

How often should I practice 5-4-3-2-1?

It helps to practice once a day when you are not in crisis, so your brain learns the pattern. Then it is easier to access it when you are foggy, panicked, or dissociated.