One of the most effective techniques in mindfulness and trauma therapy—suitable for restlessness, repetitive thoughts, or anxiety—is the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. It helps us anchor ourselves in the present and gain impulse control. As simple as it is, it has a wide range of applications for helping us feel at home in the “here and now.” To do it, you start by counting five things you see, then five sounds you hear, and finally five sensations you feel. This could be the pressure of your seat, but also a feeling that arises. Then count four things, preferably new ones, that you see, hear, and feel. Continue the exercise with three and two until you see, hear, and feel only one thing. The exercise is done with the head, but it aims at the heart. Experiencing what is there allows the heart to grow.
In Faust’s Prologue in Heaven, God the Father limits Mephistopheles’ access: “As long as he remains alive / Nothing you wish shall be prohibited.” But a little later, Mephisto makes a pact with Faust based on the potential afterlife gain. Is it evil not to hear what one does not want to hear? Then it is good to want to hear. This is what the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise encourages. This attention arithmetic not only alleviates fear, anxiety, and trauma, but it also makes evil disappear because, unlike Mephisto, we learn to hear, see, and feel everything.
Translation Laura Liska
Image Faust 2025. Photo: Laura Pfaehler
