Benefits of habit “Use the 5-second rule”

✓ Improves self-esteem
✓ Help take control of your fears
✓ Improved communication
✓ Eases social interactions
✓ Helps you reach your goals

First step:

1 time per week

Progress:

1. This week, once opportunity arises, use the 5-second rule ( https://melrobbins.com/blog/five-elements-5-second-rule ) . If you see no opportunities, make one (more on that in Tips for Beginners)
2. Next week, use 5-second rule at 2 presenting opportunities
3. Keep increasing the number until you use it every day for at least 1 opportunity

Helpful tips to make it a habit:

✓ Trigger your brain. Whenever you feel the impulse to do or say something arise, stop your brain from rationalizing away from it by actively counting to five. At five, GO!
✓ Let the app help. Even if this is a spontaneous event, you can at least track your progress of how many days you missed the 5-second rule and how many days you use it in a month. You can keep track of your habit development with this app.
✓ Reward yourself. Once you’ve gone a month with more green days (successful use at least once) than red days (no uses at all), reward yourself by going to a new place, a restaurant maybe, and exercising your new habit by ordering something you never have before. Treat yourself with something new!

Tips for beginners:

✓ Create opportunities. 5-second rule is useful when you constantly are in an environment that required you to be proactive: work, school, university, etc. However, if these places are not like that and you still want to be more proactive, make every day actions opportunities. Say hello and goodbye to a cashier every time you shop. Ask a question at the till that you previously were too shy to do. Find opportunities yourself.
✓ Mental countdown. Either upwards or downwards, counting to 5 is important. Do so mentally every time you feel the urge to do something – this is at the core of 5-second rule.
✓ Not harmful. Make sure your impulse is not going to harm you or others or be an irreversible mistake. 5 seconds should be enough to determine that and it is why they are there.