The Power of 5-4-3-2-1...

The Power of 5-4-3-2-1…..

The power that lies in the use of “counting down” from 5 is something I am so happy to have learned over the course of the last six months, or what is more affectionately referred to as Pandemic Times. I am convinced that what the enemy has intended for evil, our Creator will use for good. It may seem as though the good is sparse, or for some even that it is never coming. But, hold on to hope, dear friend. The good is coming. In fact, the good is already here. We just need to reawaken our senses to it, name the good that surrounds us and take action.

There are three different, yet similarly familiar, 5-4-3-2-1...techniques that I read about, studied and explored a little deeper during quarantine. The first is The 5 Second Rule researched, written and spoken about by Mel Robbins. The second is what is referred to as the “5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique” which is used by parents, teachers, therapists, counselors, and people at large in order to assist in grounding themselves or helping others feel grounded, especially during times of high stress, anxiety, or even full blown panic attacks. This technique was also discussed by Emily P. Freeman in Episode 145 of her podcast The Next Right Thing. And lastly, I came across a similar version of how to use of 5-4-3-2-1….at the dinner table with my family to jumpstart conversations, to engage everyone, and to remind ourselves how abundantly blessed we are when we take time to look around and name “things” in our lives. Things that are often overlooked, taken for granted, or even unnoticed.

Let’s talk about the great and wonderful Mel Robbins and her life-changing tool The 5 Second Rule. First off, if you have not heard of Mel, if you don’t follow her on social media, or if you haven’t read her book The 5 Second Rule, stop reading this right now. Go find Mel, follow her and hop on Amazon and order her book. Even better, order BOTH of her books. She has a new book coming out called 5 Decisions: Choosing a Positive Life in a Negative World. I am not going to give you all the ins and outs of Mel’s 5 Second Rule, but I am telling you it is worth every penny and minute you spend to buy and read it.

In short theMel Robbins’ The 5 Second Rule “The moment you have an instinct to act on a goal you must 5-4-3-2-1 and physically move or your brain will stop you.”

In reading Mel’s book, you will learn that you can control your mind, change the thoughts in your mind, and gain control over your life making it better minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. If you have the gut feeling that you want to do something, say something, quit something, start something you must count backward from 5 and when you get to 1 ….IT’S GO TIME! No more thinking, no more analyzing, no more “what ifs”, no more “maybe later or tomorrow”s. Get up, move, speak, Just Do It- whatever the “it” is. I use this rule; I like to call it a tool, multiple times a day. When I don’t feel like getting my exercise in at 5 AM, I have 54321…. GO! When I don’t want to get up from the couch, after being on my feet all day, to switch over a load of laundry, I 54321…MOVE! When I hesitate to send that email, or speak up in a meeting, I 54321….ROLL!

The next use of 5-4-3-2-1 was introduced to me by Emily P. Freeman on her The Next Right Thing podcast. I am going to stop here to give Emily a shout out. I first learned of Emily and “got to know her” through her work with Hope*Writers, an online writing community that she co-founded and operates. I then began reading her books. Again...pause….if you don’t already, 5-4-3-2-1... GO! Follow Emily on social media, grab copies of her books The Next Right Thing, A Million Little Ways, and Simply Tuesday, and listen to her soothing, comforting, encouraging and inspiring podcast. Like Mel Robbins’ use of 5-4-3-2-1, Emily’s podcast episode #145 discusses how when we are afraid (have fear, anxiety,uncertainty) in our lives, we can use our 5 senses to calm us and bring us back to center and back to what really matters. Emily’s discussion of the technique parallels “The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Manage Anxiety by Anchoring in the Present” that is used by teachers, counselors, therapists, and parents to help children reach calm and get grounded when their emotions and thoughts become overwhelming. For more on this, read the article by Isabelle Pikorn on Insight Timer Blog.

Use your 5 Senses to 5-4-3-2-1 yourself back to center

5- Look around for 5 things you can see (pens on table, ring on your finger, grain of wood on desk)- Take the time to REALLY LOOK around

4- Become aware of 4 things you can touch (your hair, the bracelet on your wrist, the grass beneath your feet) pay attention to HOW things feel

3- Name 3 things you can hear (hum of heater in the bathroom, chirps of birds outside your window, cars passing by, music in the background)

2- Notice 2 things that you can smell (your perfume/cologne, the shampoo smell in your hair, fresh cut grass, dinner cooking in the kitchen)

1- Bring awareness to 1 thing you can taste (the chewing gum in your mouth, the lingering taste of your lunch or morning coffee)

Repeat this process a few times, naming new things each time. See if you don’t feel more centered, more grounded, more relaxed after you practice this.

And the last powerful use of 5-4-3-2-1….comes from ….. I.DO.NOT. KNOW. But I heard about it, read about it, saw it… I don’t even remember who, what, where, why I came across this. I do remember hearing it, seeing it, reading it, and quickly jotting it down on a post- it note so that Matt, the kids and I could use it as we spent several hours a day together during the Quarantine. We don’t use it as often, now that we are all “free”, but it still hangs on our refrigerator and by sharing this with you, I am sparked to reignite the use of it in our home once again. I’m not going to dictate how to use this with your family, but we did a round the table type approach. Meaning each person at the table shared their 5, then we took turns sharing our 4, so on and so on.

5- Name 5 things/people you love that you can see right now in the space around you

4- give 4 compliments to people at the table with you (all 4 to one person or spread the love)

3- share 3 things, people, places that you are grateful for

or 3 people you will reach out to

2- name 2 things that you will explore or learn how to do

1-Just say, “Right now, I am okay” have a positive attitude and everyone wins

There you have it. The power behind 5-4-3-2-1…. It is magical. GO! MOVE! NOTICE!