Lesson 3: Using Your Five Senses to Stay in the Vehicle

When your nervous system believes you are in danger, it pulls you out of the present moment. Thoughts race. Images intrude. The body tightens or goes numb. In those moments, reasoning rarely helps—because danger is being processed below thought.

This is where your five senses become powerful allies.

Your senses live in now.

They do not time-travel.

They do not imagine.

They report what is actually happening in this moment.

When you engage your senses intentionally, you give your body real-time evidence of safety. You are not telling yourself you are safe—you are showing your nervous system where you are.

Let’s walk through this slowly.

Sight

Look around the room you are in.

Notice color—not objects, just color.

Is the light warm or cool?

Are the tones bright or muted?

Name the shades you see.

Not “blue,” but slate, navy, sky.

Let your eyes rest. They don’t need to scan for danger.

Touch

Notice where your body is supported.

A chair. The floor. A bed.

Feel the weight of your body being held.

What does the surface feel like—firm, soft, textured, smooth?

Notice the trust you have already placed in what is holding you.

Temperature

What is the temperature of the air on your skin?

Are your hands cooler than your shoulders?

Is your face warmer than your feet?

Let yourself map the landscape of temperature from head to toe.

Smell

Is there a scent in the room?

It might be faint. It might be neutral.

Soap, fabric, air, coffee, nothing at all.

You are not judging—only noticing.

Taste

Is there a taste in your mouth?

Gum, toothpaste, coffee, or simply your breath?

Let your tongue register what is present.

None of this is dramatic.

That’s the point.

Safety often arrives quietly.

Engaging the senses does not erase pain or memory. It simply brings you back into your vehicle—where choice exists. You can do this anywhere: in a grocery store, in bed at night, in a meeting, in a moment of panic.

You are not trying to feel better.

You are trying to feel here.

And here is usually safer than where your nervous system has traveled.

Practice (Optional)

Right now, name: