New school year beginning? Playing on a different lacrosse team? Invited to a new friend’s house? While all of these are exciting, they can also make you feel like you have little butterflies flying around in your tummy or head. It is completely OK to feel this way. We all do at times. BIG feelings often need a little help to get you started on your way to enjoying each new adventure. Let’s help you find your brave inner self!
A great first step is to “reset” your brain, sort of like telling it to stop and be present. Take a deep calming breath. It doesn’t have to be loud or big, just enough to tell your brain and body that you’re going to be OK.
Then get started on 5–4–3–2–1! All you need is your senses to unlock the reset. Try our countdown to help you feel more comfortable right where you are!
5 things you can SEE
Look closely, notice big things like clouds or tiny specks on your desktop. Maybe you see a brightly colored t-shirt or the color of a house nearby. Five goes by quickly!
4 things you can HEAR
Listen with your eyes wide open or closed tightly, whichever way feels better to you. Listen with elephant ears to faraway sounds or ant ears to hear soft sounds close to you.
3 things you can TOUCH
Feel textures! Try to find something soft, something rough, and maybe even something a little surprising.
2 things you can SMELL
This may be a little hard to discover at first but notice the fresh grass or dirt on the soccer field. Take a deep breath in and imagine your favorite treat like cookies baking or piping hot pizza!
1 thing you can TASTE
Does this seem impossible in the middle of a new classroom or playdate? Imagine the last thing you ate, the taste of toothpaste, or the next thing that you’d like to eat. Use your imagination.
By the time you’ve finished counting down, has your brain switched from “OH NO” to “OH WOW?” You can use this strategy anywhere, anytime, at any age. You can even teach your parents how to switch things up. Discover a new way to give your brain and body a little rest together.
Remember that to be your best self, it’s good to have strategies you can “COUNT” on!
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of (585) Kids.
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