The 5-second rule is supposed to enable us to tackle a task or make a decision in the shortest possible time. We'll tell you how it works and what else you need to keep in mind for sport betting. 

When things that should have been done long ago pile up and our to-do list gets longer every day, it can put a lot of stress on us. In the long run, it can lead to frustration, demotivation and stress. Getting yourself to do things you don't feel like doing right now can be tough.

Fortunately, there's what's known as the 5-second rule - a technique from self-management. By using the 5-second rule, you can finally start tackling a procrastinated thing within a few seconds.  

By the way, the 5-second rule has nothing to do with the 3-second rule. The latter is about whether food that was already on the floor is still edible.

HOW IT WORKS

The idea behind the 5-second rule comes from US-American Mel Robbins, who works as a motivational coach. According to Robbins, procrastination has nothing to do with inability, but much more with a bad habit. The 5-second rule is designed to overcome this inner pig - no matter how little you may feel like doing a task.

To make this work, you count down from 5 to 1 in the 5-second rule. You do this the moment you remember that you still have to do something or have a task ahead of you that you've always put off until now.

Once you get to one, get to work or prepare for work immediately.

Use the 5-second rule again and again when you want to put something off. In the long run, you can change your habits this way.

According to Robbins, the countdown is designed to activate the region of the brain responsible for conscious decision-making - the prefrontal cortex. If, on the other hand, we don't physically act on an impulse within five seconds, our brain will reject it. We then start to weigh things up and get lost in mind games instead of actually taking action. The task stays put and ends up on our to-do list again the next day.

The 5-Second Rule's quick decision, on the other hand, is designed to prevent your brain from having time to weigh things up or prevent us from leaving our comfort zone.

DOES IT REALLY WORK?

There is no scientific evidence or study on whether Mel Robbins' 5-second rule actually works. So the only way to find out if it works for you is to try it yourself. However, the rule does not work in all cases:

Some deferred tasks are bigger or more complex than others and therefore cannot be tackled so easily. The 5-second rule does not always help in such a case.

Experiences shape our decisions. So there may be good reasons why you are hesitating to get through to a task or decision. According to Spiegel, procrastination can also be caused by a strong sense of perfectionism, fear of exams or failure, or family conflicts. In such cases, more profound measures are necessary.

Every person is different. We all have different characters and different experiences. Some people therefore cope better with the 5-second rule than others.

As a conclusion, it can be said that the 5-second rule can be a good way to fight the inner pig. It can be especially useful in everyday situations, for example when you want to clean, tidy up or do sports. However, this motivational trick is not a panacea, as it cannot be applied to every problem.