This one’s a go-to tool in many therapy rooms — a classic grounding exercise for anxiety, overwhelm, or just when your thoughts start to spiral. And it should only take around 10 seconds.

Look around and name:

1 thing you can smell 2 textures you can feel 3 colors you see 4 sounds you hear Then, take 5 deep breaths

It’s simple and gives your brain something concrete to anchor to — which is exactly what your nervous system needs when things feel floaty or chaotic.