A renowned psychiatrist has shared his tip for staying calm when things go wrong – and it helps you develop a healthier mental state.
Dr Daniel Amen, from the United States, said he uses the “rule of 12” to deal with difficult situations.
The doctor said he remains calm when 12 things go wrong during an event like going on vacation or moving, and only expresses his anger after the 13th incident.
He said he tells all of his patients to adopt the rule so they can “cope” with difficult things that come up throughout life and stay “psychologically healthy” and “mentally strong.”
“I want to talk about the rule of 12, it’s something I teach all my patients and it really honors the fact that shit happens, you just have to be okay with it,” said Dr. Amen .
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Dr Daniel Amen (pictured) has shared his rule of 12 which he says can help those who practice it to be “psychologically healthy” and “mentally strong”.
He explained that the idea came to him during a two-week vacation in Europe that he spent with his family to celebrate his wife’s birthday.
“I’ve been there 12 times, things are going to go wrong and I’m not going to get angry or yell or be a jerk until the 13th thing goes wrong,” Dr. Amen explained.
“And indeed, six things went wrong and I wasn’t upset at all.”
Dr. Amen said he keeps a list on his phone of problems that arise to keep track of them.
“The more you honor the fact that difficult things happen and you can accept them, the healthier you are psychologically,” he said.
Dr. Amen said he remains calm when 12 things go wrong during an event like going on vacation, moving, or a work project and only expresses his anger after the 13th incident (image of stock)
Many of Dr Amen’s 2.3 million online followers welcomed the advice and said they would start trying using the rule themselves.
“I watched this and immediately spilled a gallon of Gatorade all over my nightstand and floor. So, is this the right timing? one viewer laughed.
‘I like this. My tolerance for adversity is pretty low,” said a second.
“I’m taking this trip. I know I will always forget one thing, so I accept it as part of the journey,” said a third.
‘Murphy’s Law. Just be excited and grateful when things go well. I think focusing on gratitude or thankfulness is extremely helpful,” someone added.