Have you ever noticed how your posture and body feel when you are in a mode of avoidance or procrastination? Most likely your head is tilted to one side, shoulders are hunched forward, low back rounded and your legs are crossed subconsciously creating a lackadaisical state of being.
Ahhh the signs of procrastination, we all know it too well, the delaying or postponing what we know we need to do. It can be hard to ignite the innate passion to want to get things done. These are crucial moments when we can shift focus in our mind through our body to stimulate action.
Let’s start with the theory of the ‘5 Second Rule’ and what is and how it can help you shift your mindset. This science-based call to action created by Mel Robbins is a ‘metacognition tool which bridges the gap between thought and action’. It simply breaks down the notion if you have an instinct to act on a task or goal you must physically move in 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea. You literally countdown 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 which acts like a circuit breaker in your brain that switches you out of habitual autopilot thought into the prefrontal cortex area of the brain where we cultivate decision making, planning and emotional responses.
I love this simple tool to redirect thoughts in our patterned neural network to a place of action. What a golden opportunity to physically align the body while our brain shifts. Here's a scenario and steps to mentally and physically align into a place of action and optimism.
You are sitting at your desk, feeling unmotivated which naturally makes you feel uneasy because you have so much you need/want/have to do. Your posture is unconsciously taking the crumpled toll. Insert your new mind, body motivational tool. Here's how :
- Realize you need to break your procrastination plight.
- Take a deep, focused breath and start counting backward from 5 while you start to align your body bottom to top. (Try it now)
- FIVE - place your feet hip distance apart on the floor and rock your pelvis forward so you are slightly forward of your sitting bones (those bony protrusions at the base of your pelvis)
- FOUR - Feel your spine grow tall from the base of your pelvis to your ribcage and center it directly over your pelvis.
- THREE - Roll your shoulders up and back to place the arm bone in the joint and feel the front of your chest open….think ‘your collar bones are smiling’
- TWO - Gently retract your chin so your head is balanced directly over your spine.
- ONE - Feel as if there is a string attached to the crown of your head gently pulling up, suspending your newly established spine ready for action.
It is truly astounding to notice the difference in how we feel by deliberately taking just 5 seconds to align our spine which indirectly settles and shifts our mind. Once we bring our attention to the front of our brain we are able to make decisions and take action. Try this recipe to jolt you out of stagnancy and into productivity.
5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1