Sensory Grounding For Instant Calm - Part 3 of 6

Anxiety has a sneaky way of time-traveling our brains, dragging us into worst-case futures, while rumination can keep us replaying the past on a loop. When that happens, sensory grounding is one of the fastest, most practical ways to come back to what is actually happening right now. We share why grounding helps the nervous system settle and how this kind of present-moment awareness connects to practices many of us already love, like yoga and mindful movement.

We walk you through the 5-4-3-2-1 method step-by-step: five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. We also make it real with a simple example from my favorite place, the screened-in porch, where noticing trees, birds, wind, and even a glass of water turns into a full-body reset. Along the way, we talk about easy, natural stress relief tools you can try immediately, like holding a cold drink, walking barefoot in the grass, listening for birds in the morning, and paying attention to the calming cue of green.

Grounding is not about ignoring problems. It is about creating enough internal space to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting on autopilot. If you have been feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, or stuck in your head, this is a small wellness practice with a big payoff, and it works for adults and kids. Try the daily challenge with us this week, then share what you noticed. Subscribe to Spandex and Wine, leave a five-star review, and send this to a friend who could use a calmer nervous system today.

Here is Alenda Jacobson's episode I mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-vulnerability-leads-to-freedom-w-alenda-jacobson/id1706879663?i=1000722046898

Transcript

Welcome To Spandex And Wine

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Spandex and Wine Podcast. I'm your host, Robin Hackney, and I'm so happy that you're here. This podcast is a place for conversations about balancing a healthy lifestyle and being happy. More specifically, happy hour. Together we'll explore all things wellness and wine. I hope you learn a little, laugh a lot, and along the way, know you're not alone on this balanced wellness journey. Ready to jump in? Pour something in your glass that makes you happy because it's time for Spandex and Wine. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Spandex and Wine Podcast. Today

Why Grounding Brings You Back

SPEAKER_00 0:38

we are talking about sensory grounding. It is part three of our six-part series on regulating your nervous system. And this might be one of my favorite because you guys know how much I love nature. I love my screened in porch. We're going to tie all of that into it. That is truly my happy place. So I'm excited to dive into all of this. And one thing that I have learned is that anxiety pulls us into the future. And the flip side is that if we just ruminate, it will keep you stuck in the past. And grounding helps return to what is happening right now. That's probably why so many people resonate with yoga, is because it truly teaches you how to be in the present moment. And that's exactly what sensory grounding does as well. It uses our senses to reconnect us to that present moment.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Method

SPEAKER_00 1:29

So one of the most popular techniques is the 54321 method. So we're going to go through that. You what you do is you identify five things that you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.

A Porch Example In Real Life

SPEAKER_00 1:52

So for me, I just said that being on my porch, you guys know that my screen and porch is my happy place. And this is one thing that, you know, I didn't even realize I was doing it. But now that I am really paying attention, um, going through this 54321, it's a great place to do that. So five things that I would see would be trees and plants, the green grass, our barn, and of course chickens. And then four things that I could touch would be the pillow behind me, uh, the chair that I'm sitting in, the wood beneath my feet, and maybe like what water in my glass if I have that right by the table. Three things that I could hear would be the birds chirping, I could hear the wind in the trees, and of course a rooster, because the rooster's always sounding off. But it is a fun um sound. And then two things that I could smell. It might be a neighbor burning a fire or fresh cut grass. And then one thing that I could taste, I okay, with that glass of water, I would probably have a true lime packet in it. So I could taste that lime in my water. And

Simple Nature-Based Grounding Ideas

SPEAKER_00 3:09

speaking of water, you can another idea is like just simply hold a cold drink. Or another idea is to walk barefoot in the grass or listening to the birds and just noticing the breeze on your skin. That would be a good feel one, or just simply sitting outside and observing your environment. I did read once about how listening to birds first thing in the morning helps set the tone for the day. I don't know if it's because you get up early so you can hear the birds, or if that is truly a sound that um grounds us. But I think, yeah, is that just the one reason why I love my Screen Demporch so much, even at 4:30 in the morning. Um,

Grounding Without Avoiding Problems

SPEAKER_00 3:53

but grounding isn't, it's not about ignoring problems. So I want to be clear on that. It's about helping your nervous system settle enough so you can respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically. And I am telling you, that is something that I definitely have to practice. Um, and I had mentioned the uh like walking it barefoot in the grass, that is so good for grounding you to the earth. And the color of green is said to be very calming. So you kind of put two things together when you take a walk in the grass barefoot. So the next time you feel overwhelmed, I would recommend that you try engaging your system, sorry, your senses before reaching for your phone or just trying to push through the feeling. And I think the episode that I had with Alinda Jacobson would be helpful to go back and listen to. I'll put the link in there. And, you know, her her work around creativity and intuition and slowing down really pairs well with the grounding techniques. So

Daily Practice And Listener Challenge

SPEAKER_00 5:01

this week, I would love for you, if you could do it once a day, that would be amazing. But even if you just did it one time this week, go through that five, four, three, two, one method. So five things you can see at that current moment, four things you can touch at that current moment, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing that you can taste. This works really well with children also, and it's something simple that all of us can do, and it will really make you slow down, observe, notice, um, and hopefully feel a sense of gratitude when you are done with the practice.

Next Week Teaser And Ways To Connect

SPEAKER_00 5:44

So that's what I have for you today. Next week we'll explore something many women need even more than grounding, and it is reducing the amount of stimulation coming at them every day, and not just women, men as well. So I'm looking forward to that. I hope that these episodes are helping you. I would encourage you to share them with a friend, maybe post them on social media. That would be amazing. If you do not follow the podcast and you don't know how, let me know. I can definitely show you how to do that. There should be like three little dots in the upper right-hand corner where you can follow so you don't miss out on any episodes. And when I'm done with this six-part series, I will make sure that I put them on social media. I wanted to wait until all of them were completed so I could just have that complete series in there. But hopefully one of these is resonating with you. There is more to come. As always, let me know if you have any questions. You can reach me at info at spandexandwine.com or my text line is 913-392-2877. Thank you so much for listening. I truly appreciate it. Thank you for listening. If you're enjoying this podcast, be sure to follow Spandex and Wine so you don't miss an episode. To do this, just go to the podcast and click subscribe or follow wherever you are listening. Look for the plus sign or follow button. This is one of the best things that you can do for the podcast. If you'd also be willing to give a five-star review, that would be amazing and much appreciated. Lastly, please share an episode with a friend or five to keep the love going. And join the Spandex Wine community in our private Facebook group by searching Spandex and Wine. Feel free to reach out to me at any time by emailing info at spandexandwine.com or text me at 913 392 2877. I appreciate you. Thank you.