Mel Robbins' Morning Routine: The High Five Habit to Rewire Your Brain for Success
Most people wake up, grab their phone, and dive straight into emails or social media. Instantly, they surrender control of their mind to the outside world.
When you let your screen dictate your mood, here’s what happens. A negative news headline spikes your anxiety. A work email stresses you out. A social media post leaves you feeling inadequate. You haven’t even gotten out of bed, yet your day’s already on a downward spiral.
What if you grabbed the controls of your day instead?
Mel Robbins’ “High Five Morning,” from her bestselling book “The High 5 Habit,” shows you how. It’s a simple routine of six research-backed steps to rewire your brain and win your day. The best part? Each step takes just a few minutes.
I’ll break down every step of the Mel Robbins' morning routine so you can take charge starting tomorrow.
Step 1: Get Up When the Alarm Rings (No Snooze Button)
The moment your alarm rings, get up. No snooze, no “five more minutes.”
Hitting the snooze button isn’t just about stealing a few extra minutes of sleep, it’s a small betrayal of yourself. Every time you negotiate with that alarm, you’re training your brain to believe you don’t keep your promises.
Getting out of bed the second the alarm goes off is a power move. It’s a promise kept, a signal to your brain that you’re in charge. This small act of discipline builds self-trust, the foundation of confidence.
Here’s the key: set your alarm for the exact time you need to rise, no buffer for snoozing. Be honest with yourself. If you need to be up at 6:30 AM, don’t set it for 6:10 AM hoping to haggle. Commit, act, and watch how this one choice sets you up to own your day.
Step 2: Tell Yourself What You Need to Hear
After getting up, take a moment for yourself. Place your hand on your heart and say: “I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m loved.”
Say it as many times as you need to feel it settle in. This simple gesture works because it calms your nervous system, and it’s not just feel-good fluff—it’s neuroscience in action.
When you place your hand on your heart, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, signaling safety and calm to your body. Most people grab their phone, spiking stress with emails and social media chaos, which floods your system with cortisol and adrenaline. This practice does the opposite. The gentle touch and affirming words release oxytocin—the hormone of social bonding—mimicking the feeling of being cared for. Research shows this lowers cortisol and stimulates the vagus nerve, grounding you in calmness.
In just thirty seconds, you give yourself the security and confidence most people seek all day from others. You rewire your brain to start from a place of strength, not stress.
Step 3: Make Your Bed
After centering yourself with affirming words, make your bed. It might seem like a small, mundane task, but it’s a powerful step toward taking control of your day. This simple action gives you a sense of accomplishment right away. That small win creates momentum, helping you tackle bigger challenges with confidence.
It’s about bringing order to chaos, even in a tiny way. As Jordan Peterson writes in “12 Rules for Life,“ making your bed is a deliberate act to tame the chaos of your world. By tidying your room, you transform a small piece of your environment, proving you can take control, no matter how overwhelming life feels. It’s a reminder that you have agency, even in turbulent times.
This act of control builds discipline. When you consistently do small things well, you strengthen your character. That discipline spills over, helping you form habits that drive long-term success. It’s less about the bed itself and more about training yourself to follow through on commitments.
Finally, making your bed shows care for your personal space, reflecting self-respect. If you can’t get the basics right—like tidying your room—you’re less likely to handle bigger responsibilities well. It’s a way of telling yourself you deserve an orderly, intentional environment.
Step 4: High Five Yourself
This is the Mel Robbins' morning routine signature move. After making your bed, walk into your bathroom and stand in front of the mirror.
Don’t focus on your appearance. Don’t start finding faults.
Instead, raise your hand and give yourself a genuine high five. You can touch the glass or not—it doesn’t matter.
You might think this is the corniest, cheesiest self-help advice in the world. It’s not. It’s backed by science and something even more powerful: your ability to change how you see yourself.
High-fiving others feels great because it’s a moment of shared celebration. Think slapping hands with a teammate after a win or a friend after a big moment. It sparks joy, connection, and belief in each other. When you high-five yourself, you’re tapping into that same energy, but for you. You’re celebrating yourself, sending a signal to your brain: “I see you. I believe in you. I’m here for you.”
This simple act flips a switch in your mind. The worry pauses. The inner critic—that voice pointing out your flaws or doubts—goes quiet. Why? Because your brain associates high-fives with success and positivity, making it nearly impossible to stay negative in that moment.
Here’s the science in a nutshell: high-fiving, even with your reflection, triggers a small burst of dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter tied to reward and motivation. Your brain doesn’t fully distinguish between high-fiving someone else or your reflection. It still lights up those reward pathways. This quick hit of positivity can reset your mood and set a confident tone for your day.
Do this daily, and something deeper happens. Your brain starts linking your reflection with confidence and celebration, not criticism. You rewire your mind to see yourself as an ally, not an enemy. Each high-five builds self-trust and self-love, turning the mirror into your biggest cheerleader.
Step 5: Move Your Body with Ease
After high-fiving yourself in the mirror, carry that energy into movement. You already know exercise boosts your mood, energy, and mental clarity. The problem isn’t knowledge, it’s action.
Most people set massive exercise goals that feel overwhelming. “I’ll work out for an hour every morning” sounds great until your alarm goes off and you’d rather stay in bed. The secret isn’t willpower—it’s reducing what psychologists call “activation energy.”
Activation energy is the initial effort needed to start any behavior. The higher it is, the less likely you are to follow through. If you have to hunt for workout clothes, drive to a gym, or plan exercises, you’ve created massive barriers. Your brain will find every excuse to avoid it.
Here’s how to make it easy: reduce activation energy to nearly zero. Lay out your exercise clothes the night before. Place them where you’ll see them when you get up. This tiny step makes the choice effortless.
When you see those clothes waiting, putting them on becomes automatic. Once dressed, your brain shifts into action mode. Even ten minutes of movement keeps a promise to yourself. You’re building the identity of someone who prioritizes health. That commitment shapes every other area of your life.
Step 6: Write Down What You Want
The last step of the Mel Robbins' morning routine is to write down five things you truly want.
Not what you think you should want, but what your heart craves.
List five things without judging yourself. Maybe you want to earn a million dollars. Maybe you want to buy a Cybertruck. Maybe you want to overcome your alcohol addiction.
Your desires can be the same every day or completely different. They can be big life goals or simple pleasures. The key is giving yourself permission to want what you want, no apologies, no explanations needed.
This practice rewires your brain. By consistently owning your dreams instead of dismissing them, you train your Reticular Activating System (RAS)—a network of neurons that filters what you notice—to focus on possibilities, not problems. If you write “start a business,” your RAS might highlight a networking event or an article you’d otherwise miss. Your mind spots opportunities, resources, and connections to make those desires real.
Conclusion
The most powerful aspect of the Mel Robbins' morning routine is its simplicity. You don’t need special equipment, extensive training, or a complete life overhaul. You just need to follow these six simple steps and do them every day.
What’s more, these steps are backed by years of scientific research. Done consistently, they transform your life and rewire your brain for success.
Start tonight: set your alarm for the time you want to get up. Lay out your exercise clothes. Tomorrow morning, give yourself the gift of starting your day as your own champion. Your future self and the life you’re building will thank you for it.