Change Your Defaults

Life is far too precious a thing to spend living in fear and anxiety, so before you regret another minute, use the five-second rule to take control and live life to its fullest.

Pay attention to your mood, and when you feel your mind begin to give itself over to worry, take five seconds to peacefully count down from five so you can reassert control.

As soon as you reach “one,” ask yourself these two questions: “What am I grateful for in this moment?” and “What do I want to remember?”

Nothing is set in stone. Your habits, mind-set and personality traits are flexible and subject to change.

Once you realize this, your life can start changing for the better. To help facilitate this change, use the five-second rule, a simple tool that can help you adjust your “default” reactions by counting down from five.

By changing the way we make decisions, this relatively small act can add up to redefine who you are, how you feel and what you do with your life.

Next time you’re feeling nervous about something, such as a job interview or speaking publicly, don’t tell yourself to “calm down.” Instead, say, “I’m excited!” Anxiety is a state of physiological arousal and you can flip it around to make it positive instead of letting the fear pull you in. When you tell yourself that you’re excited, it provides a valid positive alternative that allows you to stay in control.