Timers: The Magical Focus-Creating Device

Using an iPod Touch like it's 2009...

I have a habit of rushing through things. Whether it’s eating lunch, finishing a chore, or saying grace, I tend to want to rush ahead with my mind spinning in a bazillion different directions. 

Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed that the simple act of setting a timer is a huge benefit. It keeps me from forgetting that I have sweet potatoes in the oven, or that I’m drying a cast iron pan on the stove. But beyond that, I’ve learned that timers help me to focus on the moment. Here are three areas of my life where a timer has been immensely helpful.

1. Stretching. It’s no secret that I have a really bad back (I throw it out so often that Zach has given me the regionally-appropriate nickname, “Lisa, Home of the Throwed Back”). I know that daily stretching is key to my health. But do I do it? No! I’ll get approximately 2.5 seconds in, remember something else I need to do, and completely forget that I’m stretching. Or I’ll rush through the stretches so much that they’re no use at all. This is where a timer comes in. I’ll set it for a short amount of time— sometimes as little as three minutes when I’m impatient— and focus on stretching well. If I’m tempted to do something else, I look at the timer and remember that I’m still supposed to be doing cat-cows, and can wait just a few minutes more to Google the planting date for strawberries.

2. Housework. When it’s late at night and the dining room/kitchen still look like a disaster, I’m always tempted to just go to sleep and deal with it in the morning, even though I know for a fact that a clean table and counter put me in a good mood when I wake up. I’ve learned that if I set a timer for ten, five, or even two minutes, and work really hard to clean up the mess in that time, I’m always shocked at how much better the house looks. Sometimes it’s even totally clean! And if it turns out to be a bigger project than I expected (I’m looking at you, massive pile of dishes), at least I’ll be able to clear enough counter space to make breakfast.

3. Editing papers. Most of you know that I’m a writing teacher, and sometimes, when my brain is fuzzy, the thought of editing a paper seems overwhelming. That’s when I set a timer for 15 minutes. The rules are simple: during those 15 minutes, I can either put comments on papers or stare blankly into space. No checking the phone, no trolling around other internet sites, nothing. Either working or staring. Again, this isn’t a foolproof solution, but nine times out of ten, I end up either making significant progress on the paper or even finishing it by the time the timer goes off.

Have you ever used a timer to help you focus? How did it go?

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