Have you tried the “5 second rule”?

Written by: Coach Kelly

Picture this – it’s 5am and your alarm clock is going off to get up to go to the 5:30am class at the gym.

You can feel your warm, cozy bed holding you close; your brain is saying things like “ah, I’m so tired”, “my bed is so warm”, “I’m so cozy”, or simply “ughh!”

You’ve got two choices:

A) Roll over and go back to bed

B) Get up and get out the door

Option A often times leads to regret, or feeling guilty. We do the “I should have” game all day in our head.

Option B generally leads to a feeling of accomplishment, increased self confidence – you physically and mentally feel better.

The same can be said for afternoon classes. Sometimes after a long day at work you don’t want to work out for similar reasons – you’re tired, maybe grumpy because it’s been stressful, just tapped out.

Again, the outcomes are similar as above.

Now, don’t get us wrong; sometimes we are legit tired and need the rest, and that’s OK! 

The issue arises when we pick Option A more often than not. It simply doesn’t help us in the long run, at all.

Here lies the “5 Second Rule” coined by author Mel Robbins – 

You count down from 5. “5-4-3-2-1” and then do the thing. 

This technique can be helpful when we are feeling stuck, or know what we have to do but are either scared (maybe it’s an uncomfortable email or text), we’re tired (I don’t want to get out of bed), or, we’d rather not go to the gym today but we know we need to (and we know we’ll feel better after, every time.)

Counting intentionally backwards requires focus and wakes up your prefrontal cortex, thus, your mind is less likely to talk you out of it.

So, next time you’re feeling stuck, and need that extra boost – try it! Don’t give yourself time to think about it or barter with your brain (your brain will always try to talk you out of it).

Looking to start your fitness journey? Count down from 5 and book your No Sweat Intro HERE or email [email protected] to get started!