Soundtrack Studying

Let us be honest; everyone has hit the snooze button more than once. The disinclination to face new challenges has affected us all at some point in life. Procrastination has often been considered a time-management issue, but recent research suggests procrastination is linked to mood regulation.

Mel Robbins, a motivational speaker, television personality, and author best known for her TEDx talk “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” uses anecdotes and research to discuss personal growth, motivation, and overcoming obstacles.

She visited the University of the Cumberlands about a month ago to talk about the Five Second Rule and how it changed her life with the Leadership program. The Five Second Rule is a countdown to taking action. It helps take control of your mind and break the pattern of overthinking and self-doubt. It also helps people transform bad habits into good ones and regain control of their lives. Using these rules can help people in hard times such as with finals.

Being a part of the audience during her talk, I decided to try this method to see if it impacted me. I am a known procrastinator who always does things last minute or does not do my tasks. I had set a goal for myself to reach as I set off on this quest toward personal growth.

I recorded my daily routines using the Five Second Rule and things that were added to my to-do list throughout the week. My main goal was to be able to get up and do what needed to be done, such as homework.

The first day was challenging as I had set an alarm to wake up at 8 a.m. to start my day two hours earlier than usual. When I heard my alarm, I did not want to wake up. Just as I was about to hit the snooze button on my phone, I stopped, thought of what Mel had said during her talk, and realized I was doing the same thing. I took a few moments to count backward from five. Once I hit one, I hit the dismiss button and got out of bed to prepare for the day.

Usually, my day consists of me just going to class and working. However, I do make plans that I never go through with, including Spring Formal. I wanted to go; however, I knew it would be crowded and loud, two things I do not like, which made me hesitate. Sitting in my dorm listening to the people outside, I felt like I should go. So, I used the Five Second Rule to motivate me to get up and go. While I did not enjoy it as hoped, it got me outside into a public space.

At one point I was not motivated to do my schoolwork. My emotions were completely offputting due to my mental health. Though I knew I had to finish the work before the due dates. Most of my classes consist of writing articles and responses, which are mentally draining. While I wanted to procrastinate until the last minute, I decided to do one or two assignments for each class. I used the countdown as if doing a race with homework. It worked as I had more free time throughout the day to do what I wanted, like watch Doctor Who or a Mysta Rias stream on YouTube.

Mel Robbins’ method works. It does make it easier to handle and develop personal growth. While my week was not as busy as most, I accomplished more than usual. I got out more and became a productive member of society that is not living their life on replay.

Our editor in chief, Lacie DeGough, put together a playlist of her favorite peaceful soundtracks to listen to while studying!