5 Whys Technique
The 5 Whys technique is a simple but powerful tool for identifying the root cause of a problem by asking "why" five times. Originally developed for business and manufacturing, it can also be applied to mental health to uncover deeper emotional patterns and triggers.
How the 5 Whys Technique Works for Mental Health - complete this exercise in around 15 minutes
Identify the Issue (around 2 minutes) – Start with a specific emotional challenge, mental health concern or current problem.
Ask "Why?" (around 7 minutes) – Question why the issue exists.
Repeat the Question – Continue asking "why" for each answer, digging deeper.
Reach the Root Cause – By the fifth "why," you often uncover the underlying belief or experience driving the issue.
Example: Using the 5 Whys for Anxiety
Why am I feeling anxious? → Because I have a presentation tomorrow.
Why does that make me anxious? → Because I'm afraid I'll forget my lines.
Why am I afraid of forgetting my lines? → Because I haven't practiced enough.
Why haven't I practiced enough? → Because I've been procrastinating.
Why have I been procrastinating? → Because I doubt my ability to do well.
In this example, the root cause isn't just the presentation—it's self-doubt. Identifying this means we can shift focus and perhaps soften our inner critic, that harsh judgemental voice that says we're going to mess up. Developing more self-compassion can be useful here, the truth is, we might mess up, we are fallible human beings but telling ourselves we must do it perfectly otherwise we are a useless, worthless person is not going to help us. In face it has the opposite effect, it creates pressure and anxiety because we have set an expectation and standard to which we must meet. We are focused on a particular outcome. If we shift focus to doing the best we can, it will most likely mean that most of it will go well (if we have prepared), and even if we forget some of what we wanted to say, or our voice has a little wobble, we have allowed for that as normal, and acceptable. However, by expecting and accepting that this may happen it is less likely to happen because we are less anxious, which means we can think more clearly and so less likely to make a mistake or appear anxious.
Once you have identified the root cause, take the next steps:
Reflect on the Root Cause (3 minutes) Look at your final "why" answer. Does this feel like the root of the problem? If not, you might need to dig a little deeper. Once you've identified the root cause, reflect for a while, what are your thoughts and feelings?
Take action (3 minutes) Now that you've identified the root cause you know what you're working with and can focus on solutions. Check our some of other tools. In the example of the presentation, solutions might include:
Using mindfulness as a way of accepting and allowing the anxious feelings without get caught up in them
Challenge the belief that 'I don't have the ability'
Experiment with not getting fused with procrastinating tendencies and noting the benefits (reduced stress, time to prepare, etc.)
Important: the goal isn't always to solve the problem completely in 15 minutes, but to gain a deeper understanding that can guide your actions moving forward.
Hope that makes sense!
Try the 5 whys technique for yourself with our handy worksheet below.