Five senses (54321) check-in

A full-sensory grounding technique meant to bring participants back to the present moment and practise mindfulness by focusing on what they’re sensing in that moment.

How to

  1. Introduce the activity to the group and tell them its purpose: to become grounded.

  2. Tell them to begin by getting comfortable, taking a deep breath and bringing their attention to the present moment.

  3. One by one, ask participants to focus on:

    • 5 things they can see.
    • 4 things they can touch.
    • 3 things they can hear.
    • 2 things they can smell.
    • 1 thing they can taste.
  4. This can either be done as an individual check-in, or shared with the group.


What we like about it

Through sensory awareness, this exercise helps ground group members and brings their attention to the present moment. This is especially helpful in overwhelming or overstimulating situations where you want people to gain more focus, calmness and connection.

It’s also easy to remember so participants can take this exercise into their lives outside of meetings.

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