It’s the end of the school year, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, senioritis was hitting me hard. With just one week of classes left, I realized I needed something — anything — to help me push through these final days before graduation. I just needed a little extra motivation to maintain my momentum and avoid burning out along the way — and Mel Robbins’s Five Second Rule was just what I needed.
Throughout my senior year, Mel Robbins has been that steady voice of encouragement for me. As a New York Times best-selling author, podcast host, and motivational expert, her advice always seems to come at the right time. Her “Let Them” theory helped me find closure with a situationship that had been weighing on me, and reminded me that it’s okay when friendships naturally shift or fade, especially post-grad. Trusting her wisdom had helped me so much already, so when I felt myself starting to drift off course, I knew exactly where to turn again.
That’s where Robbins’s Five Second Rule, or 54321 technique, comes in — the ultimate countdown to action. The idea is simple but powerful: when you feel hesitation creeping in, count backward 5-4-3-2-1 and move. No overthinking, no second-guessing. It’s a mental reset designed to break the habit of procrastination before it even starts. With graduation just around the corner, the Five Second Rule feels like the perfect final push to help me cross the finish line strong and proud.
Robbins said the technique helps you get out of bed…
For context: I’ve never been a procrastinator. Like, ever. I’m super Type A — the color-coded planner, the “submit at least 24 hours early” kind of person. Whether it was schoolwork, internships, or even just organizing weekend plans, I’ve always been ahead of the game. No snoozing alarms. No missed deadlines. No last-minute cramming. But recently? Things started to shift. I’d catch myself lying in bed for an extra thirty minutes, doom-scrolling TikTok and just…existing. Starting my assignments later than my ultra-proactive self would normally allow. It wasn’t like me, and honestly, it freaked me out.
That’s when I remembered Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule and decided, why not? “The alarm rings in the morning. Most of us don’t want to get out of bed, right, but we know we should,” says Robbins on the Behind the Brand podcast series. “So, I would go 5-4-3-2-1. The moment the alarm rang, 5-4-3-2-1, just like NASA, and the counting backwards kind of shut my mind off. Then suddenly, at one, I would stand up. I would use this every single morning to get out of bed. Nine years later, I still use it every single morning.” Simple. Direct. No overthinking. No negotiating with yourself.
I started using it the very next day.
Morning one, my alarm went off. I blinked. I stared at the ceiling. I thought about maybe checking IG first. Then I mumbled, “5-4-3-2-1” under my breath and stood up. Not gracefully. More like a half-zombie shuffle (and no, not the cool Lady Gaga Coachella kind). But still — I was up. And more importantly, it worked.
Morning two was the same drill, but with less zombie vibes. Feeling a little disoriented, it took me a second to adjust to my surroundings. However, as soon as “5-4-3-2-1” came out of my mouth, I was moving out of my bed.
Morning three, Sencha (the apple alarm audio) sounded in my room. Without even thinking, I got up and headed straight to the bathroom to get ready for the day — no countdown needed.
Senioritis hit hard, but Robbins’ Five Second Rule hit harder.
At first, it felt kind of embarrassing — like, seriously, I’m a college senior and I’m literally doing a countdown to function? But somewhere between feeling silly and actually getting sh*t done: this tiny action was bigger than just getting out of bed. That small countdown became my lifeline for breaking bad habits, stopping negative self-talk, and getting unstuck whenever my brain wanted to stay in comfort mode.
Now, whenever I catch myself hesitating — answering an intimidating email, starting an assignment, texting first, texting someone first, even getting my butt to the gym — I count backward from five and move. Five seconds to beat fear. Five seconds to cut through procrastination. Five seconds to choose action over anxiety.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about building momentum and building trust with yourself. It’s you telling your brain, we’ve got bigger things to do. (Like graduating. Like getting a job. Like building a life that actually feels good.) It’s wild how something so tiny made such a huge difference. Using the Five Second Rule helped me rebuild the momentum I thought I’d lost — and reminded me that sometimes, all it takes is five seconds of courage to completely change your day.
So yeah, senioritis hit. But thanks to the five-second rule and a little bit of stubborn self-love, I’m not letting it win. I’m finishing what I started: proud, present, and ready for whatever’s next. Plus, if I can drag myself out of bed at 7 a.m. after a night of cranking through final projects and maybe some senior class bar crawls? I can do literally anything. 5-4-3-2-1… let’s go!