This Cube-Shaped Timer Is the Only Thing That Helps Me Avoid Twitter
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
I’ve fallen deep into a productivity wormhole recently — readingself-help books, buying guidedplanners, disabling push notifications on my iPhone, even downloading a Google Chrome extension to block Twitter in an attempt to find some focus in an otherwise chaotic world (read: news cycle). But so far, the only tool that’s kept me reliably distraction-free has been this little plastic gadget called theMiracle TimeCube.
The TimeCube is, essentially, asimplified kitchen timer, with a different duration written on each of its four sides. It seems so simple as to be unhelpful, and when I first sawthis green oneon my boyfriend’s desk, I mocked him. But then he explained that his mom, a special needs teacher in the Boston public school system, uses these productivity-boosting gadgets in her classroom.
The basic idea is that when students understand that there’s a tangible end to whatever they’re doing, they’ll be able to focus on that one activity better, and that’s how I’ve been using myred TimeCube. I now divide my work into manageable 25-minute, Twitter-free chunks (à la thePomodoro Technique), punctuated by the timer’s forceful, hard-to-ignore, but not abrasive beeps (it doesn’t seem to bother my co-workerstoomuch). Then, I flip the cube to the 5-minute timer and take a break. I repeat the cycle four times before I take a 20-minute break.
The strategy helps me get out almost two hours of uninterrupted work without feeling burned out. There are even a few different TimeCubes, depending on how you want to divide your time, and while a phone timer does functionally the same thing, with the TimeCube, I never get sucked into text messages or emails or Twitter mentions when I turn off the alarm. In fact, when I have the TimeCube out, I know to put my phone away, and that’s part of what helps keep me distraction-free. It’s a bit of a mind game. Committing to a 25-minute chunk of social media-free work is way less intimidating than telling myself I’ll only take a break once I’m completely done with the task at hand, no matter how long it takes. The TimeCube doesn’t turn off the internet. It just creates a system that makes it easier for me to avoid the time-suckiest of it.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is the TimeCube I prefer, with 5-, 10-, 20-, and 25-minute timers.
New! You can now save this product for later.
My partner uses this set of TimeCubes. He uses the green one, which has a 1-minute preset timer, while exercising. The white one, with 5-, 15-, 30-, and 60-minute timers, is better for taking breaks at work.
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestacne treatments,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,natural anxiety remedies, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links,New Yorkmay earn an affiliate commission.
