I hit the snooze button and then I hit it again until I absolutely have to get out of bed. I have trouble cleaning my home even though it bothers me to see it dirty. I avoid making that phone call to schedule a doctor's appointment. I keep speaking sarcastically to my partner when I wish I was being kind instead.
How can you change your bad habits and learn to feel more in control?
Mel Robbins describes one simple tip for moving from idea to action. She recommends you count down 5-4-3-2-1, and then spring into action. If you wait any longer to act, your brain will sabotage any changes in your behavior you are trying to make. As humans we are wired to want comfort, pleasure and familiarity, so we resist change. Pausing like you do when you hit the snooze button effectively stops you from making changes. You can use this technique called the 5 second rule to outsmart your brain.
Using the rule, you interrupt habit loops that get encoded in the brain. Counting down, when you get to one, your habit has been interrupted and you have awakened the part of your brain you need to make changes. According to Robbins, this type of counting is a starting ritual that triggers you to act with confidence and shift gears. The ability to act with confidence and to feel that sense of movement is necessary for change.
Check out her talk and then try this technique for yourself. You have the capacity to change your life one action, once choice, one step at a time. You can do this!
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