What Does the 5 second rule have to do with life?

What Does the 5 second rule have to do with life?

So you have no doubt heard someone, after dropping food on the floor, say “Five second rule!” then pick it up and eat it. 

Some of us cringe at the very thought. There is no scientific evidence that it takes 5 seconds for germs to get on a piece of food when it’s dropped on the floor, or worse, the ground. 

Personally, I would suspect that if we could film the event on a microscopic level, it’s would resemble a meteor crashing to Earth, digging a crater where dirt gets into the meteor and meteor gets into the dirt. So a carpet would offer a huge surface area for contamination, and a hard floor, having no give, would create a harder, more intense smashing of the particles together.

Do I Ever Act Like That?

So when I think about this in terms of my thinking, I see parallel in how I “smash” into a situation. You know, how I react or respond to the person, place, or thing. When a web site or software program behaves in unexpected, frustrating ways, my frustration sends a flood of neuro-chemicals through my brain and body, creating ripples through my being, making my hair stand up, my jaw clench, my breathing shallow. Even after the fact, I can feel a tightness and stress in the center of my chest. There is recent scientific evidence that emotions affect our entire energetic body, our thoughts, our immune system, everything.

It Affects How I See the World

Even more than that, our perception affects our vision. Not just the physical vision, although there was one time in my life when I was so angry that I literally saw red. It also affects our point of view, our experience of the world, our expectations, and so our experiences of the world. Some of these thoughts, beliefs, and opinions come from our upbringing, school, etc, we may have been born with some, and quite a few come from choices we make about what something means.

These assumptions can contaminate our experience in much the same way as that meteor hitting the Earth or that potato chip hitting the floor. If our mental floor is clean of assumptions, there is less contamination. If I have taken care of most of my wounded places, what don Miguel Ruiz calls the Pain Body, then my feeling won’t be hurt when someone doesn’t respond to my “Hello!”. If my mind and heart are clear, I can be open to thinking, “perhaps she didn’t hear me.” Rather than thinking that she doesn’t like me. 

A New 5 Second Rule

So my new 5 second rule is this: Wait 5 seconds before reacting. Give myself a chance to respond instead.

That 5 seconds, or 3 deep breaths, can change everything. The way I see the situation. The way I feel. The chemical reactions in my body. The way I see myself.

How About You?

Do you notice times when your thoughts are contaminating your perception? 

Do you find it helpful to pause when you are frustrated or overwhelmed?