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The Mel Robbins Podcast

The One Science-Backed Habit You Need This Year | The Mel Robbins Podcast

Today we’re going to talk about the one #habit that researchers say has the biggest, overall impact on the quality of your life.

Mel RobbinshostGuest in clip (Mel’s husband, Chris Robbins)guestMaria (listener from Spain)guestChris RobbinsguestEmail writer / listenerguest

Jan 2, 202359mWatch on YouTube ↗

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

The High Five Habit: a science-backed “first domino” for self-relationship
Mel frames the episode around the most important relationship you’ll ever have: the one with yourself. She introduces the core idea—high-fiving yourself in the mirror—as a simple daily action meant to kick-start self-acceptance and confidence.
- •Why your relationship with yourself drives everything else
- •The “first domino” concept: one tiny habit that creates a ripple effect
- •High-fiving yourself in the mirror as the central practice
- •Teaser of Chris (her husband) and a powerful listener story later
Maria’s question: “How do I learn to love myself?”
A listener from Spain asks for something most advice never explains: the actual steps to self-love. Mel uses the question to set up a practical definition of love and why action matters more than waiting for a feeling.
- •Self-love is a common struggle because the “how” is missing
- •The typical trap: waiting to feel loving toward yourself
- •How questions from listeners shaped this episode’s focus
- •Transition to redefining love as behavior
Why self-love feels impossible: we define love as a feeling (but it’s an action)
Mel argues that love isn’t primarily an emotion—it’s something you demonstrate through what you do. She explains that we feel loved by others because of their actions, and self-love works the same way.
- •Dictionary definition misleads: love ≠ a feeling you wait for
- •You feel loved when others show it via words and behaviors
- •Self-love requires actions directed toward yourself
- •The “secret” is consistent self-demonstration, not self-talk alone
How to do the High Five Habit (and why it’s after brushing your teeth)
Mel gives a step-by-step script: brush your teeth, set down the toothbrush, look yourself in the eyes, then high-five your reflection. She explains habit stacking and why the eye contact is the hardest—and most important—part.
- •Habit stacking: attach the new habit to toothbrushing
- •The key moment: genuine eye contact with yourself
- •Many people avoid mirrors due to shame, regret, or self-criticism
- •Eye contact is an act of care; avoiding it reinforces rejection
What happens when you try it: awkward laughter, emotion, and “neurobics”
Mel describes the immediate reactions people have when they high-five themselves: laughter or a surprising emotional release. She introduces “neurobics”—pairing a physical action with a new positive thought to build new neural pathways faster.
- •Most people laugh because it feels dorky—but recognizable
- •Neurobics: physical action + new thought = faster rewiring
- •High fives are already coded in your brain as encouragement
- •Dopamine and positive association help the habit ‘work’ without forced thinking
Research evidence: why high fives build trust, motivation, and resilience
Mel highlights two studies supporting the power of high fives: one on NBA teams and one on kids taking math tests. The common thread is that the gesture communicates support and improves performance—even without words.
- •NBA study: winning teams show more high fives/fist bumps/pats
- •High fives signal “I’m with you,” strengthening trust and teamwork
- •Kids’ study: a silent high five outperformed verbal encouragement
- •The motivational effect is physical, immediate, and relational
Mel’s origin story: the habit she found after getting fired
Mel shares how she began high-fiving herself during a low point after losing her talk show. The small act created a mood boost and became the start of a new relationship with herself that led to therapy and deeper personal change.
- •The habit began instinctively in a moment of discouragement
- •Immediate benefits: dopamine, mood lift, “I can face this” mindset
- •Shift toward ‘having my own back’ during hard times
- •The practice became a gateway to broader healing work
Theresa’s question: forgiving yourself and stopping the self-beating loop
Mel connects self-criticism about past mistakes to a deeper inability to accept yourself. She positions the High Five Habit as a daily action that begins to change the pattern of rumination and self-rejection.
- •Why people waste years replaying past failures
- •Self-forgiveness depends on self-acceptance
- •Mirror avoidance and harsh inner judgment keep the cycle alive
- •A daily action can open the door to compassion and change
Chris joins: why men resist the mirror—and what’s underneath “this is stupid”
Chris explains his initial rejection of the habit and reveals the deeper issue: he didn’t feel he deserved encouragement. The conversation opens into how many men tie self-worth to career performance and silently carry shame for years.
- •Chris’s first reaction: ‘No way’—it felt ridiculous
- •The real barrier wasn’t the high five; it was eye contact with himself
- •He saw failure, regret, and not meeting expectations
- •Men often feel pressure to provide, succeed, and stay stoic
Fifteen years of feeling like a failure: career identity, expectations, and silence
Chris describes how frequent job changes and professional insecurity fed a long-term narrative of not succeeding. He also notes how running hard in life leaves no space to acknowledge the good—especially for men conditioned to put others first.
- •Self-worth tied to professional ‘success’ and provider identity
- •Family-of-origin expectations (especially his father) shaped the benchmark
- •Constant hustle crowds out reflection and self-recognition
- •Men often prioritize everyone else and neglect themselves emotionally
What changed: repetition, mirrors everywhere, and learning to see the whole self
Chris explains that transformation requires repetition and that mirrors provide many daily opportunities to reconnect. He and Mel emphasize shifting from looking through yourself (or scanning flaws) to truly seeing a human being worthy of care.
- •Repetition is essential; change doesn’t happen once
- •Using any mirror as a cue to reconnect with yourself
- •Moving from flaw-finding to whole-person recognition
- •High five as partnership: ‘I’ve got your back’ in hard moments
From regret to acceptance: depression, forgiveness, and self-pride
Chris describes how his mirror experience evolved into gratitude for learning and battle scars rather than self-hatred. He speaks directly to men about starting with forgiveness, especially for those struggling with addiction, depression, or perceived failure.
- •Shifting from regret to ‘I made the best choice I could then’
- •Naming depression as a hidden driver of resistance and self-judgment
- •Seeing himself as a man he loves, respects, and is proud of
- •Message to men: begin with self-forgiveness and acknowledgement
Mel’s closing: why she says “I love you,” plus the listener story that proves the impact
Mel links her signature sign-off to the tragedy of how many people can’t accept themselves, and argues you can’t fully let in others’ love if you reject yourself. The listener email from Chris recounts a mental health crisis, mirror avoidance, and a turning point sparked by one high five that launched therapy and healing.
- •Love must be practiced as action; the mirror is the starting point
- •Why refusing self-compassion blocks receiving love from others
- •Listener ‘Chris’ story: anxiety, rumination, panic, and shame
- •One high five became the catalyst for therapy, education, and recovery

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