Self-Soothe With Your Five Senses
A gentle DBT skill for comforting yourself kindly when you are distressed, using your five senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch - plus soothing movement. Build your own self-soothe kit so comfort is ready when you need it.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
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Self-Soothe With Your Five Senses
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Vision - things that are good to look at
Give your eyes something soothing or beautiful. For example: look at photos of people or places you love, watch the sky or clouds, sit by a window, light a candle and watch the flame, look at art or nature, or watch a calming video.
Hearing - sounds that comfort you
Fill your ears with something soothing. For example: play calming or favourite music, listen to nature sounds or rain, hum or sing, listen to a podcast or audiobook, or sit and notice the quiet.
Smell - comforting scents
Use scents that feel pleasant or calming. For example: a candle or essential oil, fresh coffee, clean laundry, a favourite hand cream or perfume, baking, or fresh air and flowers.
Taste - something soothing to taste
Taste something nice, slowly and with attention. For example: a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate, a square of chocolate, a piece of fruit, a mint, or a favourite meal. Savour it rather than rushing - keep it safe and in moderation.
Touch and movement - comforting sensations
Comfort your body through touch and gentle movement. For example: wrap up in a soft blanket, have a warm bath or shower, stroke a pet, hold a hot water bottle, put on your comfiest clothes, or gently stretch, sway, or rock.
Build your self-soothe kit
Choose your favourites from each sense and write your own plan. You could even gather some items in a real box (a soft scarf, a scented candle, a photo, a favourite snack) so your kit is ready the moment you need it.
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When to use ‘Self-Soothe With Your Five Senses’
‘Self-Soothe With Your Five Senses’ is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet. As a core CBT skill it is used right across the model, with presentations including depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and low self-esteem, rather than being tied to a single diagnosis.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device — or download it as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 6 minutes. It moves through six short steps:
- Vision - things that are good to look at — Give your eyes something soothing or beautiful. For example: look at photos of people or places you love, watch the sky or clouds, sit by a…
- Hearing - sounds that comfort you — Fill your ears with something soothing. For example: play calming or favourite music, listen to nature sounds or rain, hum or sing, listen…
- Smell - comforting scents — Use scents that feel pleasant or calming. For example: a candle or essential oil, fresh coffee, clean laundry, a favourite hand cream or…
- Taste - something soothing to taste — Taste something nice, slowly and with attention. For example: a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate, a square of chocolate, a piece of fruit,…
- Touch and movement - comforting sensations — Comfort your body through touch and gentle movement. For example: wrap up in a soft blanket, have a warm bath or shower, stroke a pet, hold…
- Build your self-soothe kit — Choose your favourites from each sense and write your own plan. You could even gather some items in a real box (a soft scarf, a scented…
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, ‘Self-Soothe With Your Five Senses’ works by noticing the links between situations, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviour — and finding practical ways to change unhelpful patterns. The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going — and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
Evidence & sources
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
- Linehan, M.M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press.
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
- Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
- SANEline: 0800 689 5555 — 4:30pm–10:30pm, every day
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