Choose a small interval. The aim is not to prove you can focus for hours; it is to make starting easier and give time a visible boundary.
10:00
Ready when you are.
Why shorter intervals can help
When a task feels vague or emotionally heavy, “finish it” can create too much activation cost. A short timed commitment changes the goal to something concrete: stay with the task until the timer ends, then decide what comes next.
Three ways to use the timer
Starting paralysis
Set five or ten minutes and define only the first visible action.
Time blindness
Use the countdown as an external representation of time rather than relying on internal estimation.
Hyperfocus boundaries
Use a longer interval plus an alarm to create an intentional stopping point.
Body doubling
Run the timer while working alongside another person, in person or remotely.