Ever heard of the 5‑Second Rule? Not the food one — the psychological hack Mel Robbins popularized. Counting down from five sparks immediate action, breaks negative thought loops, and can improve emotional well-being. If stress, overthinking, or mood swings are dragging you down, using a simple countdown can help rewire your emotional reflexes in real time.
Before I share some of my initial successes with this rule, why is this important and how does this relate to emotional health and mastery? Well, if you’re anything like me, you have a task list of things you know you should do, that you’ve been planning to do once you get around to it, or things that you just don’t feel like doing. I should start getting up earlier. I should drink water first thing in the morning. I should clean up my desk. I should…I should….I should! Pretty soon your “shoulding” all over yourself (got that one from Tony Robbins). But what is also happening is that those items are taking up space in your head and making you feel ashamed and guilty. And that’s a crappy way to live your life, right?
By applying this rule, you have a tool to help you remove our automatic tendency to “delay…delay…delay” and just take action and get it done. And maybe its not something that you get done. Maybe for that particular task, its just starting. Just taking that first step. Getting that momentum going.
Here are some of my ‘5 Second Rule” wins for the week:
· Not hitting the snooze and getting up as soon (or close to it) as the alarm rings. (Alarm goes off, “5-4-3-2-1”, I cuss and then jump out of bed)
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Glass of water right after getting up. Made this easier by having the glass filled and by the bed ready for me to drink.
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Getting a better handle on my outstanding debts by logging into my accounts and getting the current balances.
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Stopping by church on my way home from work for a little prayer time.
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Hoping on the rowing maching in the family room for 15 minute workout.
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Creating a list of video tutorials for my family’s UPS Store and actually making my first. It was not good at all but the victory was getting over my fear of trying something new and being ok with it not being perfect.
· “5-4-3-2-1” – Writing this exact article was the product of the utilizing the 5 Second Rule!
Though I am only halfway through The 5 Second Rule, I
greatly appreciate that the author, Mel Robbins, includes the science behind why the rule works and testimonials from people who have used the rule.
I will post a more comprehensive review once I have finished reading the book. If you’d like to learn more, I have included some links to additional resources below:
· Everything You Need to Know About The 5 Second Rule | Mel Robbins
· The Life-Changing Magic of 5 Second Decisions | Mel Robbins
You can also join my 5 Second Rule discussion group on Facebook. Just email me at hermanredd@gmail.com with your Facebook name and I will send you an invite.
Will you try the 5‑Second Rule to interrupt a negative thought loop? Let me know in the comments.
The concept of the 5-second rule as a tool for improving emotional health is intriguing because it bridges the gap between mindfulness and immediate action. It’s fascinating how such a simple countdown can interrupt negative thought patterns and create space for intentional choices. I wonder, though, if its effectiveness varies depending on the individual’s level of emotional awareness or the intensity of the emotions they’re experiencing. Have you come across any research or personal anecdotes about how this method holds up in high-stress situations or with deeply ingrained habits? It seems like this could be a great starting point for those struggling with procrastination or overthinking.
This is right up my alley because I learned the 5-second rule recently, and Mel did say we have to acknowledge the stress of avoiding something, then count 5, 3, 2, 1. to interrupt the procrastination habit. I do this whenever there’s stress in my life, which tells me I have to take action to do things, but counting down really helps me break that habit. The key here is don’t think about. Just do it, and that’s exactly what I do. Mel’s book The 5-second Rule covers this technique, and her book goes into depth and will change your life. I highly recommend it.
This is such a short, brief, and yet powerful article I ever read! For me, I am a man of action, and this means I have no big issues with procrastinating. However, I know too much but I am not acting on it that much as to earn money from my abundance of knowledge and experience. Look, I have been on the SFI since time memorial, but I was not earning a dime. I have been on Wealthy Affiliate (one of the best affiliate marketing programs on earth) since 2015, only to delete my account (and create another one two days later) in December 2024.
I think this rule can work as you can testify, but only if one acts upon it. Do you agree that people can still procrastinate about following this rule since it requires action as well? Do you think procrastination is by nature rather than by nurture? Can a natural procrastinator even improve regardless of how much tips you provide? I’m curious!
John