DESTRESS & TAKE BOLD ACTION: 2 Countdown Tools
2 Tools:
5-4-3-2-1-GO! for bold action
5-4-3-2-1-GROUND to center, de-stress and find calm.
Effective, easy, and immediate.
Here’s how to use them, and links to deeper dives if you’d like.
5-4-3-2-1 Go! (Aka The 5-Second Rule)
What it is:
The moment you have an instinct to act on a goal you must
physically move within 5 seconds…
[count it down …5-4-3-2-1…]
or your brain will stop you.
“I did something that I had never done before—I ignored how I felt. I didn't think. I did what needed to be done
Instead of hitting the snooze button, I started counting.
Backwards.
5..4..3..2..1..
And then I stood up.
That was the exact moment I discovered the #5SecondRule.”
~Mel Robbins
Examples:
Wedding dancing is about to start and you have the impulse to dance when you usually sit back.
Stand up in 5 seconds OR your brain will pull the brake.
You have the impulse to write down the inspirational quote you just heard.
Start writing in 5 seconds OR your brain will pull the brake.
You have the impulse to talk to the interesting person across the room you don’t know.
Walk over in 5 seconds OR your brain will pull the brake.
“Your problem isn’t ideas. your problem is that you don’t act on them.”
~Mel Robbins
Deeper Dive: Mel Robbins explains her 5-second rule: (2 min video)
Deepest Dive: This One Brain Hack Backed By Science Will Change Your Life. Here's How | Mel Robbins: (12 min video)
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5-4-3-2-1 Ground!
What it is:
5-4-3-2-1 Ground! is a tool to instantly reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also easy and effective. It can be done almost anywhere and anytime.
Engaging your 5 senses—which can only be experienced in the present moment—it shifts your focus from inside you to around you. From stress and worry in your mind to engagement with the immediate world around you. It grounds you in the present moment.
Examples:
Spot five things in your immediate environment. Really see the details—like color, form, and texture.
I see the computer.
I see the cup.
I see the picture frame.
I see the water reflection in my mug.
I see the misshapen spot on the wall.
Touch four things around you. Notice the lightness of your shirt or the clunkiness of those boots. Hold an item and study it’s texture—is it bumpy or smooth? Focus on the solidity of the floor under your feet.
I feel the smooth keyboard.
I feel the durability of the table.
I feel the coolness from the open window.
I feel the sensation of having to pee.
Close your eyes and listen to the noises around you.
I faintly hear a car passing by.
I hear my favorite song, specifically:
I hear the drum pattern.
I hear the vocals shifting between the left and right speakers.
Take a deep breath and identify two distinct smells around you.
I smell the welcome aroma of coffee.
I smell the fresh scent of my shirt.
Finally, zone-in on your sense of taste.
Take a sip of water
Notice if your mouth seems minty fresh or lingering peanuts.
Deeper Dive: CLICK HERE for introduction to 5-4-3-2-1 and Skill Practice: (3 min video)
Deepest Dive:
1ST CLICK HERE TO READ [Self-soothe Using your 5 Senses - Ideas from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)]
2ND CLICK HERE TO Create your own 5 Senses Self-soothing Toolkit: (Worksheet)
My friends,
Shift quickly to action to get out of your mind and into your life!
Shift to what matters.
~Charles
