The Somatic Reality Check

A 3-minute practice to reboot your sensory awareness and return to the present moment.

Use this when you feel: Foggy, spaced out, disconnected,

stuck in your head, or doubting what's real.

How to Use This Practice

This practice reboots your sensory operating system by engaging all five inputs. It's especially powerful when you feel anxious, dissociated, or mentally overloaded.

The Pattern:

Name:
5 things you can SEE
4 things you can FEEL
3 things you can HEAR
2 things you can SMELL
1 thing you can TASTE

Why It Works:

It forces your brain to redirect resources from internal worry loops to external, verifiable sensory input. This system reboot interrupts anxiety cycles and grounds you in the tangible reality of the present moment.

Transcript:

"Hello. This is the Somatic Reality Check—a practice to reboot your sensory awareness and return to the present. Use it when you feel disconnected or stuck in mental loops.

Wherever you are, take one soft breath. Feel your feet on the floor. Press down gently. Notice the actual support beneath you.

Now, let's run the system check:
Look around. Name five things you can actually see. Not what you imagine—what's actually there. [Pause]
Now, shift to touch. Find four things you can physically feel. The texture of your clothes, the air temperature, the surface beneath you. [Pause]
Next, listen. Identify three things you can actually hear. Not memories—actual sounds happening now. [Pause]
Now, bring attention to smell. Notice two things you can smell right now. [Pause]
Finally, bring awareness to taste. Find one thing you can taste in this moment. [Pause]

Take one more deep breath, feeling more present and grounded in actual reality.
This system check is always available to bring you back to the here and now."

Want to Go Further? Deepen Your Somatic Awareness:

Take the Quiz: Discover your unique Nervous System Fingerprint.
Build a Practice: Develop deeper sensory awareness with the Foundational Body Scan.