I finally started using a timer for sick day tasks

I used to just try to power through when I was sick, but I'd end up staring at the screen for hours. Last month with the flu, I set a 25 minute timer for one small email job and actually finished it. Then I took a 10 minute break and did another round. Over 3 days, I got almost half my normal work done without crashing. The timer kept me from overdoing it and making myself worse. Has anyone else tried something like this for pacing yourself when you're under the weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

henry15016d ago

Man that's actually a solid insight. The timer trick works because it turns a vague goal like "do work" into a concrete, small task you can actually finish. Same thing happens with cleaning the house - I'll tell myself I'm gonna clean the whole kitchen and end up overwhelmed, but if I set a 15 minute timer for just wiping counters I'll actually do it and then keep going. It's like our brains need a finish line that's close enough to see or we just give up before starting.

aaronroberts16d ago

Did you ever hit snooze on the timer only to realize you were napping for two hours? I've totally been there, my "power through" method just turns into a drool fest on my keyboard.

joseph4815d ago

@aaronroberts I've definitely dozed off mid-timer too... that's when I switched to a louder alarm on my phone. The 25 minute thing works for me because it's short enough I can push through even when I feel awful. Helps that I keep a water bottle nearby too.