Calming Down with 5 Senses

Poster to support children in grounding themselves when they are suffering with severe anxiety.

Why do you need this?
If your anxiety reaches a debilitating level, it can be helpful to ground yourself in the present moment. You can do this by thinking about your surroundings using the 5 senses. This poster encourages just this by reminding children to name 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell and 1 thing they can taste.

How and when might you use this?
This might be used in a variety of ways:
· During relaxation and mindfulness exercises.
· To support children who struggle with transitions to new activities. Before transitioning to a new task children can be reminded of this calming strategy.
· In the moment when a child is suffering with heightened anxiety or stress.
· During counselling sessions to support students in exploring their anxiety and developing coping strategies.
· During class circle time as a discussion about the importance of self-regulation and managing emotions.

What’s included?
1 PDF poster