We will explore the five minute rule. As humans, when we go through life, there are times when we become irritated, anxious, or depressed without even realizing it. The fundamental reason is that the beliefs formed during our childhood are activated, and the emotions associated with those beliefs are felt. Regardless of the reason, once you start feeling negative emotions, it becomes difficult to engage in productive activities and motivation disappears. At this time, you can apply the five minute rule.
1. Who is Hal Elrod?
Hal Elrod, the author of Miracle Morning, is also a coach related to motivation and success.
At the age of twenty, Elrod was hit by a drunk driver traveling at 110 km/h and was declared dead for six minutes before coming back to life.
The medical team judged that he would not be able to walk again, but Elrod regained his health and managed to walk again, and if he could not win the fight with himself, he also completed a tough 80km ultramarathon.
He talks about his experience overcoming negative emotions during his traffic accident through his five minute rule. The five minute rule can be useful for people who easily experience negative emotions.
2. The five minute rule
We will explore the five minute rule. First, we will look at what experiences Elrod had through his five minute rule and what the method is.
1) Elrod’s experience
During the traffic accident, Elrod’s femur was broken in half, and his pelvis was shattered into three pieces. The medical team told him that there was a high likelihood he would not be able to walk.
Despite such circumstances, Elrod showed himself laughing and joking with the medical staff, which the medical team could not understand because it was not the behavior expected from a young man who had just been told he might never walk again.
However, Elrod says that at that time, he made a choice and acted between accepting the reality that he could not walk and using the five minute rule to strive for a good outcome.
Elrod used the his rule to fully feel negative emotions for five minutes and spent the rest of the time with a positive mindset. Contrary to the medical team’s judgment, he took his first steps in less than three weeks and was discharged a month later.
2) Method of the five minute rule
The five minute rule is about indulging in negative emotions for five minutes, but stopping once the five minutes are up. The important thing here is to feel and express the negative emotions as they are and to stop when the time is up.
The action of setting a timer to accurately record the five minutes is also important, and repeating this can become a habit.
▶︎ Steps of the five minute rule
① Recognize negative emotions
② Set a five-minute timer
③ Do not deny the emotions, but feel them as they are
④ After five minutes have elapsed, stop and switch to positive emotions
3) Effects of the five minute rule
① Enhanced self-awareness: Managing and limiting your negative emotions can increase your understanding of yourself.
② Strengthened emotional flexibility: Rather than being stuck on one emotion, you can flexibly use various emotions.
③ Reduction of negative thoughts: By fully resolving negative emotions in five minutes, negative thinking can be transformed.
④ Mental health management: Managing negative emotions effectively can help manage your stress.
3. Thoughts on the five minute rule
Many counselors say that it is important to feel the emotion as it is without denying or avoiding the negative emotions in order to resolve them.
Therefore, during psychological therapy, there is a process of eliciting unconsciously suppressed negative emotions, and when those emotions are resolved, individuals can experience improvement in current mental symptoms.
The emotional regulation method using the five minute rule feels very efficient and effective, and I think it is a good skill to manage one’s mental health.
I encourage you to use the five minute rule to resolve negative emotions and spend the rest of the time with a positive mind!
4. Conclusion and Q&A
We have explored Elrod’s experience of changing his life using the five minute rule and looked at the method it. Below, we will look at frequently asked questions and key points.
1) Is the five minute rule effective?
The five minute rule can vary in effectiveness from person to person, but if it becomes a habit, it can efficiently manage stress. Your awareness of yourself can increase, and your ability to use emotions flexibly can grow.
2) Please tell me the method of the five minute rule!
First, when you recognize your negative emotions, set a five-minute timer. For five minutes, you can fully feel and express the emotion, and when the five minutes are up, try to transition to positive emotions.
3) Can I freely express my emotions to others for five minutes?
When doing the five minute rule, it is advisable to avoid indiscriminately expressing emotions to others. It is preferable to express emotions freely by yourself, and expressing emotions to others should be done cautiously for the sake of relationships.
If you are curious about other techniques for managing your negative thoughts and emotions besides the five minute rule, please refer to the article below!
► Source and reference information
[Book] Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod / Hanbit Biz Publishing
[Book] The Greatest Life – Dave Asprey / Business Books Publishing
– Be the Titan Brain
