Getting distracted can cost you time, and lost time adds to your stress. Timers are a great way to minimize lost time.
For example, if you’re working on an essay and tend to go down the Wiki hole when you do online research, set a timer for 5 minutes.
When the timer sounds, ask yourself, “Am I still doing what I was doing when I set the timer?”
- If the answer is Yes, set the timer for another 5 minutes and keep working.
- If the answer is no, reset the timer for another 5 minutes and return to the essay.
This way, if you go down the Wiki hole, you only lose 5 minutes, rather than 30 or 40 minutes, or more.
You can use the timer on your phone but it’s better to use an inexpensive timer on a lanyard or string that you can hang around your neck. That way, if you walk away from your phone, you’ll hear the timer because it’s on your body.
