Someday I will spend a few weeks at a cabin in the woods or an isolated beach house with no clocks. I’d love to let nature’s rhythms and my own perception take precedence over the ticking of clock hands. But right now my life requires some scheduling, and I’m embracing the power of a simple tool that most of us have on our cell phone, oven, or stuffed in a cupboard somewhere — a timer.
Here are seven ways a timer has improved my daily routines and might improve yours:
1. End procrastination
At the beginning of January, Copyblogger’s Sonia Simone advised bloggers to set a timer and write for 20 minutes every day in January. I didn’t think much of it. I have to write for more than 20 minutes if I want to finish anything, I thought to myself. But I heeded Simone’s advice, and I was far more productive last month. Committing to a short amount of time eliminated my resistance to getting started. And once I’ve started, 20 minutes nearly always turns into more.
2. Prevent sibling fights
My boys inspired my love affair with the timer. At two and five, they finally play together. They also squabble a lot. “It’s my airplane.” “Mine.” “Mom, he took my plane.” “He hit me, so I had to hit him back.” You get the picture. Well, would you believe that a timer puts a stop to all of it? Each boy gets two minutes with whatever toy is en vogue and then they switch. Researchers believe humans are hard-wired to desire fairness. Sure enough, once my boys know they’ll get equal time, the fighting stops. It’s magic.
3. Tame cleaning pitfalls
Housework: it can be hard to get started on it or it can eat up your entire life. Setting a timer solves both problems. We often set one in the evenings or on weekend mornings, turn on music, and clean together as a family for 30 to 45 minutes. It’s amazing how much we get done in a short time and how much fun it is when we do it together.
4. Improve focus at work
The Pomodoro Technique teaches people how to manage work time better using a kitchen timer. The idea is to get everything ready for a task, set a timer for 25 minutes, and stick with the task until it dings. Then take a break and do it again. Do this all day long, and you’ll train yourself to stop multitasking. I don’t use the Pomodoro Technique, but I utilize another technique that encourages me to schedule my work in small, focused units – working at home with two little boys.
5. Limit mindless activities
A timer is not only great for helping you to get started and focus, it can help you stop wasting time. Most of us have seen hours dissolve while blog-hopping or scrolling through status updates, and it never feels great. Next time you go online, decide what you want to do there and set a timer. The trickiest part is forcing yourself to actually stop when it dings. But in my experience, mindful online time is more fun and fulfilling.
6. Ensure quality time
Many childhood development experts say that connected parenting requires 30 minutes a day of undivided attention. Marriage likely improves under similar conditions. With dishes, laundry, and deadlines always looming and sometimes taking over entire sections of the house, it can be tempting to drop each other off the to-do list. But a simple timer can help you reserve time for connection.
7. Carve out alone time
According to studies, meditation can relieve anxiety, lower blood pressure, boost immunity, reduce inflammation, and on and on. But I wonder if part of meditation’s power is in simply setting aside time every day to be alone and do something quiet and restful. I imagine you’d notice benefits from setting a timer and walking, exercising, stretching, playing music, or mindfully doing anything every day.
If you liked this post, check out these related posts:
- Ditch the Life Coach and Do the Daily Chores
- A Simple Way to Kick the Multitasking Habit
- Feeling Stuck? Slow Down.
- Redefining Wealth
Have you discovered ways to use a kitchen timer to improve your life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Great ideas, some new to me. What an old kitchen timer does for me? Every aspect of using it, from turning the dial to its quiet ticking to the ringing sound provides sense memories of my mother working in the kitchen. I don’t wear her aprons or use most of her recipes, but keeping her timer means a lot to me.
That’s the best use for a timer yet, Laura. The sound of a sewing machine similarly brings me back to my grandma’s house.
I use my kitchen timer for so many different things…including short bursts of exercise. Somehow it’s easier to face a few minutes of intense activity than a huge block of workout time. This post was “timely” because my kitchen timer died the other day. 🙁 Life just isn’t the same without it. (BTW, Abby you listed 2 #6’s. My OCD forced me to point it out! LOL)
Thank goodness for your OCD, Lisa. All fixed now.