For those of you yet to discover the mind-blowing world of Mel Robbins, she is the New York Times best-selling author for “The 5 Second Rule” and “The High 5 Habit”. She is also one of the most trusted experts on behavioural change in the world, a motivational speaker and the host of “The Mel Robbins Podcast”.
How is she pertinent to new parents? Parenthood is one of the most rewarding yet challenging journey! And who better to turn to for easy, science-based changes in your daily routine that can improve the rest of your day and consequently the rest of your lives, than Mel Robbins herself!
This article explores some small, easy yet effective practices that take 1 minute or less, to set your whole day on a positive cycle.
1. Making the bed first thing in the morning!
I’m sure as parents-to-be or as new parents in HK, you have plenty of help to do the mundane chores. And the mornings can be so busy, why waste time making the bed yourself? Research suggests that the simple act of making the bed right after you wake up can register in your brain as the first victory of the day!
It’s all about setting an intention to do the small things that set up an orderly day ahead. Research suggests that this simple task can reduce stress, improve focus and relaxation, provide a sense of accomplishment and therefore increase productivity. This only takes under 30 seconds to complete and can help you feel more in-control of your life.
2. The High Five Habit
The High 5 habit pairs a routine habit like brushing your teeth and looking at the mirror, with a positive, encouraging habit like giving your mirror-image a high five. This elicits the notion that you truly show up for yourself and are rooting for yourself! The brain registers this novel act as an achievement and sets your thought patterns on a celebratory, self-appreciative cycle. Its domino effect further cultivates motivation, self-confidence and joy throughout the day! Tomorrow when you brush your teeth first thing in the morning, take 10 seconds to try this!
3. Listening to Birds Chirping
All around the world, the sounds of birds singing have a therapeutic connotation. Evolutionarily, these sounds have been what our ancestors woke up to with the hope of a new day. Not only does birdsong affect you positively on a physical level of sound frequency, but it also has the ability to mentally transport you to a natural outdoor environment! All you need to do is listen to a bird-chirping audio for a minute to reap its benefits!
More well-documented benefits of this practice include lowering levels of stress hormones, improving sleep quality, reducing mood swings, better pain management and lowering blood pressure. It makes the body relax while alerting the mind, starting your morning on the right foot!
Don’t have a family of birds singing to you every morning? Here is a free link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awXL8y9IWa4&t=4s
4. The 5 second rule to get going
The 5-second rule suggests that whenever you are hesitating, or procrastinating, just count down from 5 (5-4-3-2-1-GO) and get going! Mel Robbins explained she started using the 5 second rule as a way of getting out of bed at a time that was difficult for her and her family. She counted down from 5-4-3-2-1 and immediately got up, before the mind created a reason not to act.
5. Setting 3 goals for the day, one of which prioritizes YOU!
Why set 3 goals?
According to “Law of 3”, your brain is wired to focus on fewer but meaningful tasks, so you can produce better results, feel a sense of accomplishment and increased motivation. For busy parents, make sure 1 of your 3 goals prioritizes YOU. And the goals don’t have to be big. It can be as simple as taking a 30-minute run by yourself, or reading the first chapter of a book you’ve been putting away for months, or having coffee with a friend you haven’t got around to meeting in a while.
6. Resist the urge to scroll, first thing in the morning
In the modern era, every one wakes up to a bunch notifications from Gmail, Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter, LinkedIn, WeChat… the list is long! But research shows that scrolling through these apps first thing in the morning can exponentially increase the levels of stress hormones as you subconsciously start comparing yourself to others. Instead of giving power to yourself to intentionally start your day, you relinquish control over to your phone. Hence, the morning starts off with a net negative feeling of jealousy, not feeling like you’re good enough and exposure to tragedy from news rather that feeling energised, ready to accomplish and simply feeling joy!
So what should you do instead? Replace social media scrolling item with item 1, 2 and 3 to start your day, the right way!
Sanchal Sanchayyan
Hello! I am Sanchal, a Hong Kong-Indian Medical graduate from HKU. My aim is to utilize my medical training and knowledge to produce bite-sized, well-researched articles to help parents make informed decisions. I am an avid reader, writer and traveller and hope to make a positive impact to thousands of lives in the decades to come!
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