The Unproductive Timer

Back in December, I posted about Setting a Timer to help us in our tasks and be more productive in our days and in our lives. I have a counter proposition for you.

Has anyone ever told you to set a timer to find unproductive time?

It may seem counterintuitive to set a timer to relax - and it definitely is. But perhaps it is exactly what you need.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves we need to take a break. We live busy lives and often times are running from one thing to the next. In the short periods of free time we have we want to be productive and get the things done that we need to. It can be overwhelming, For those of us that are busy, work for themselves, or just do not do well at not being productive with every moment of their free time (that’s me!) - setting an “unproductive timer” could be the answer to our baggy eyes.

When I have a “free” moment - rare, but it happens - I want to be as productive as possible, and check things off my to do list because I don’t often get that time with my busyness. Sometimes I even get a few hours to be productive! With that, I actually need to take some time to self-care, and just watch TV for 20 minutes, or read a book, or close my eyes for a moment. If I don’t set a timer or an alarm, I could easily fall asleep or accidentally binge watch Netflix before I realize it’s been hours and it’s 2am and I only meant to watch one more episode (I know you all have been there)!

If the thought of calling it an “unproductive” time already stresses you out, call it something else. Your “me time,” “time to breathe,” whatever you need it to be to be effective, and even productive, for you!

We all need to find a pause throughout our days, and ensure we are also taking days and moments for ourselves. Do what you need to do to find that for yourself.