Getting up in the morning seem like an unbearable chore at time, but Mel Robbins has a brain hack that she claims is a successful remedy to sleeping in.
She calls this hack the 5 second rule and claims it helped her deal with severe anxiety and found out later in life that the method had scientific and biological merits. Since then she has written a best selling book by the same name (The 5 Second Rule) to spread her ideas to people who are stifled by anxiety.
The 5 second rule is simple: When you feel anxious simply count backwards from 5 to 1. A method she admits seems too simple to be true, but is adamant it works.
One simple thing everyone can use the 5 second rule for is getting out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning. Simply count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 and then after finishing the countdown get out of bed. She says this works because we are wired to act when a countdown is complete. Think of a rocket launch. We all know when the countdown reaches 0 the rocket blasts off, and that’s what you’ll do in the morning after using this technique.
Additionally, the 5 second rule diverts our attention away form the thoughts that are causing our anxiety. She says that it only takes five seconds for our minds to sabotage previous agreements we made with ourselves, so the countdown sidesteps that problem as well.
She says this technique can be used for all sorts of things, especially when faced with uncomfortable situations when we would rather be quiet. Do you want to say something in a difficult negotiation? Simply say to yourself 5-4-3-2-1 and that should give you the courage to deal with the uncomfortable situation.
If it works for getting out of bed in the morning that seems like a win.
Check out her interview with Chase Jarvis.
How can you apply the 5 second rule? What anxiety will you be able to overcome by using it?
