I tried the life-changing 5-second sleep rule – it worked better than I thought

Ever dreamt of a quick fix to overhaul your lifestyle in just five seconds flat?

Would you shake up the monotony with an action-packed new job or whisk yourself away on that longed-for luxury trip without once glancing at your bank balance?

Or maybe you’re hankering for something as deceptively simple as with a spring in your step?

Surrey Live’s own took on the test, trying out the “five second rule” over a fortnight. This brainchild of motivational powerhouse Mel Robbins involves a countdown from five whenever the impulse to act strikes.

It’s designed to bypass the procrastination-loving part of your brain, warding off time-wasting and the spiral of over-analysis. Staring down a room in shambles too daunting to deal with? Just blast through a 5-4-3-2-1 before jumping into the fray.

Deadline looming but can’t find the zest to tackle it?

Fire off the same count then plunge right into the work. And for the habitual snooze button culprits, challenge the morning alarm with a swift 5-4-3-2-1 at the initial beep and soar out of bed like a rocket.

Charged with this strategy, Ravi embraced the challenge – let’s explore how his two-week trial went.

Week 1

On Thursday night, January 23, he set off on his rigorous challenge. He recounted: “I set my alarm for a bright and early 7am wake-up call the next day. My morning ritual was pretty standard: wake up, spend a few minutes scrolling through my phone, get out of bed to brush my teeth, engage in a brief morning prayer (spoiler alert: I’m Muslim), enjoy breakfast, feed my beloved cat, and then dive into work.

“The first morning was quite the eye-opener. The moment my alarm buzzed, I did a mental countdown – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – and leapt out of bed.

“A quick one-minute scroll on my phone and I was ready to tackle the day. It felt surprisingly good; those extra minutes I’d usually laze away were now put to better use.”

The true test came on the second day, which was a Saturday – typically Ravi’s day to sleep until at least 10 am.

Nevertheless, he continued with the challenge, this time awakened not by his alarm but by his cat Timmy, who eagerly meowed for his breakfast. Ravi divulged: “The temptation to snuggle back under the covers crept up on me, but once again I counted down – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – and got up, fed Timmy, and to my surprise, completed my morning routine. And all this at 7am on a non-workday Saturday.”

With an abundance of time, he decided to embrace a morning walk.

“Despite the chilly weather, the adrenaline from my countdown from five to one kept me going. I felt rejuvenated. This five-to-one business wasn’t as dreadful as I’d anticipated.”

Sunday was more of the same for Ravi—except after tending to his pet, Timmy, he treated himself to extra hours under the duvet. He remarked, “The weekdays followed a similar pattern. Each morning, my alarm would ring at 7am (except for Thursday, January 30, when I woke up at 6am to be in the office by 9am); I counted down from five to one; I got out of bed and went about my routines.

“I must admit, I became more efficient at completing my tasks instead of dawdling. Commuting to work became easier as I consistently caught my train on time. I managed to squeeze more work into my day. Things were looking up. Or so it seemed.”

By week two however, Ravi hit a snag. Reflecting on that period, he admitted, “Upon returning home on the evening of January 30, I slumped in my chair in my room. It was 7pm. I was knocked out for a few minutes. Apparently, my body needed a break, and the early wake-up call after the five-to-one countdown had taken its toll.

“I was exhausted. But I still managed to wake up, have dinner, watch a game, write a story, and hit the sack early at 10pm.

“After having the best night’s sleep in a long time, I woke up feeling refreshed the next morning.”

In an effort to make life even tougher, he chose to halve his sugar intake in his coffee, going from two spoons to one, and stated the impact was huge.

He shared: “I found myself applying this countdown method to various aspects of my life, from completing numerous tasks at work to carrying out household chores. For example, on Sunday, February 2, I used the countdown technique to motivate myself to do the family shopping, preventing my brain from talking me out of it.”

Elaborating on the benefits he observed, he added, “The result was a sense of achievement for not postponing the task to another day, proving to be an effective way to combat procrastination.”

Towards the experiment’s end, he noted more smooth sailing: “The concluding days of my experiment were more seamless than the preceding week. I noticed that I stopped mindlessly scrolling through my phone first thing in the morning and instead jumped straight into my daily routine.”

He experienced clear improvements in other areas as well: “My focus at work improved, my time management skills enhanced, and I was able to feed Timmy punctually without feeling sleepy.”

Summing up his experiences, Ravi declared the five-second rule’s effectiveness obvious, as it not only facilitated quicker, more cheerful awakenings but also augmented his overall alertness throughout the day: “By avoiding the morning scroll on my phone, I found myself with extra time to be more productive. This led to improved decision-making both professionally and personally.”

However, he acknowledged that it wasn’t solely the five-second rule contributing to the positive changes: “However, it wasn’t just the five-second rule that made a difference. Adjusting my morning coffee routine, ensuring an early bedtime the night before, reducing but intensifying my gym workouts to three times a week instead of four, and incorporating walks into my routine all played a part.

“Essentially, I paid attention to what my body was telling me. And that’s what I’d suggest for you as well.”