Timers as Tools

In my practice I am constantly looking for small changes that can be immediately impactful in my clients’ lives.  While we all know that lasting change happens in small increments over longer periods of time, it is important in maintaining motivation for the work that needs to be done for there to be recognizable and measurable progress in one’s therapeutic goals.  Timers are a small, easily acquired tool that can have a big impact on several negative behavior patterns.  In this technological age it is increasingly easy to work with timers.  In  most cases, they can be set on phones and computers within seconds.

Experts have long extolled the virtues of using timers to assist individuals who struggle with attention and focus.  Setting a timer when doing longer tasks can be a great tool to help draw your wandering mind back to the present task at hand.  The notification of a timer breaks into wandering thoughts and gives you a signal that it is time to refocus.  A timer may also be used as a reminder to take a movement break if necessary.  Often movement is a great tool to help individuals refocus as well.  How often the timer should go off is dependent on the severity of the distractibility of the individual.  A highly distractible individual may need the timer to go off frequently, while a more focused individual might need only occasional reminders to break and refocus.  The hope is that over time the timer can be phased out as the brain adapts and learns to refocus itself through repetition.

I have also found that timers can be a great way to increase motivation in individuals who struggle with procrastination.  It is much simpler to motivate yourself to complete a task you have been avoiding if you can assure yourself of limits and rewards.  I recommend setting a timer at the beginning of the task.  That way you can tell yourself that after a certain amount of time you will stop working on the task and give yourself a break.  That break may involve a snack, checking the news on line, a TV show or any reward that you would like to offer yourself for getting started on your project.  Breaking a larger project into smaller pieces like this can make the whole project feel more manageable. 

Finally, I find the timer to be an invaluable tool when parenting.  Setting a timer can help aid in difficult transitions from one activity to another, especially with small children who are being asked to stop doing something that they are enjoying.  For instance, you may set a timer while they are building with blocks and say that when they timer goes off it will be time for them to put the blocks away and get in the bath.  While this won’t remove all of the grumbling, it often removes the power struggle because the timer is the notification instead of the parents.  In the same way, a timer can remove the power struggles that break down parental child relationships when children can’t complete tasks on time.  For example. There need not be fighting about getting breakfast eaten before school.  It is simply done before the timer goes off or there is a consequence.  This removes the turmoil and helps start the day off in a calmer, more predictable fashion.  The use of timers in this manner can also be used to help kids have more awareness of the passage of time, which in the long run can make them more time conscious individuals. 

While these are a few of the very effective ways timers can be utilized, the possibilities are endless.  If you were to present me with a nagging problem that you have been facing in your life, I am sure that I could identify a way the timer could be useful in kicking off its solution.  So start thinking outside the box and use a timer to jump start your change.