The 5-4-3-2-1 technique calls for students to pay attention, look around the classroom, and find five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. By focusing on their senses, students can shift their attention from distraction and stress and cultivate present-moment awareness. This activity offers a fun and engaging way for students to experience calm as they notice their environment with greater awareness.
Left: Sierra M., listening to emotions. Right: Beth G., listening to sounds of spring.Left: Robin B., listening to sounds at home. Right: Adriana V., listening to the clock.Left: Miles, listening to sounds outside. Right: Monica R. describes this artwork: “How I felt after the meditation and the painting was more calm and loose. What emerged for me in this process was how tight some parts of my body were, but after taking some deep breaths, I felt them become loose, for example, in my arms and tingly in my fingertips. I also was more aware of my weight as my feet were on the ground. The color I chose for my breath was blue because it’s a calming color for me. The air around me is green because it reminds me of earth. The red color makes me feel more alert, and the purple color makes me feel more relaxed and loose, but strong. I chose to show this painting to someone else and they interpreted it as someone who is feeling hurt and going all over the place on the inside but staying positive on the outside. This really surprised me as this was not my intention, therefore not everyone sees similar emotions in the same works. ” —Monica R.
How do you create focus when students are distracted or anxious? A plethora of studies have revealed the benefits of a mindfulness practice as an effective tool for enhancing emotional and physical well-being. Mindfulness is the practice of purposefully focusing attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment.
Engaging the Senses
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique calls for students to pay attention, look around the classroom, and find five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. By focusing on their senses, students can shift their attention from distraction and stress and cultivate present-moment awareness.
This activity offers a fun and engaging way for students to experience calm as they notice their environment with greater awareness. Grounding techniques such as 5-4-3-2-1 can be done anytime and anywhere. Guide students through the steps below.
Procedures
Take three deep breaths before beginning. If you need more time to allow your thoughts to slow down, repeat and continue mindful breathing for one minute.
Follow the sequence and allow yourself time to observe and use your senses mindfully.
Notice five things you can see. This can be anything in the art room or outside a window.
Next, notice four things you can touch. This can be your hand, hair, arms on top of the desk, or any art materials nearby. You can also notice the ground beneath your feet or the sensation of your feet inside your shoes.
Notice three sounds you can hear. This can be internal sounds like your stomach growling or the sound of your breath, or external sounds like the class bell, outside traffic, or the shuffling of feet.
Notice two scents you can smell. Notice the scents in the room or your own clothing or skin.
Notice one flavor you can taste. It could be the aftertaste of a snack or recent meal, or you could move your tongue in your mouth and notice what you taste.
End the exercise by taking a long deep breath, pausing, and simply notice the sensations you experienced.
Art Extension
Invite students to recall one of the strongest sensations they experienced during the 5-4-3-2-1 procedures. This could be an object they saw in the art room or through the window, something they touched and would like to explore through drawing, or any of the sensations they felt.
Students can create a realistic or abstract drawing of the scents, sounds, or flavors to capture the moment. Any media or material would work to engage students’ senses with creative expression.
Art teachers emphasize process-based, expressive arts experiences to help students develop mindfulness and present-moment awareness. Young students create observational paintings of peace while immersing themselves in nature; elementary students participate in a series of multisensory mark-making activities; middle-school students collaborate on a mural inspired by a symbol of interconnectedness; high-school students express gratitude through traditional and digital printmaking; and more.
