That 5 minute timer trick for deep cleaning finally clicked

I used to dread cleaning the bathroom because I’d think it had to take an hour. Yesterday I set a phone timer for 5 minutes and just scrubbed the shower walls nonstop until it beeped. I got through about half the tiles in that time, way more than I thought. Then I did another 5 minutes on the sink and mirror. The whole bathroom was done in under 20 minutes with zero pre-planning. Has anyone else tried short countdowns for chores they usually put off?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_adams29d ago

Well I'll be. That timer trick works like a charm doesn't it? I started doing it with decluttering my desk at work. I just set it for 5 minutes and grab a trash bag. I don't even stop to sort things, I just toss obvious garbage and pile papers to deal with later. The key is you quit exactly when the timer goes off, even if you want to keep going. That way your brain doesn't dread starting next time. I've gotten whole rooms sorted in just a few of those short bursts spread across the week.

nathanb7129d ago

Bro that's literally how I got my garage under control! I do the same thing with a 10 minute timer and just focus on one corner at a time. The quitting part is so key - I used to push through and then get burned out, wouldn't touch it again for weeks. Now I just stop when the timer goes off, even if I'm on a roll. It's like training your brain to not hate the task.