The Five Minute Rule
Pop quiz time! What clinical symptom do PTSD, ADHD, Generalized Anxiety, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder all have in common? If you said difficulty focusing, you are correct! This particular symptom can be frustrating for anyone who experiences it and can create difficulty with task and time management in both your personal life and professional work environment.
Frequently, difficulty focusing can manifest into avoidance behaviors simply because tasks just seem too monumental to accomplish. In turn, because of procrastination, your to do list will continue to grow, which then inevitably creates another cycle of avoidance. Eventually, you will begin to feel overwhelmed by this growing to do list, which can easily contribute to obsessive worry or even complete withdrawal.
So how do you even begin to break down tasks when they seem so impossible to finish? The five minute rule is a great tool to help you get started accomplishing your short term goals, even when they become overwhelming.
The five minute rule, simply put, means taking just five minutes out of your day to work on a task that’s been nagging at you. Need to do the dishes? Set a timer and wash dishes for 5 minutes. Laundry piling up? Another timer, another five minutes. Have a big presentation soon? Take five minutes and start writing it up. After five minutes of productive work on your chosen task, you may stop and move on to something else. However, you may also choose to continue working on the task until it is completed.
Most of the time, once you start working on something, you’ll likely be motivated to see it through to completion. The hardest part of any task is typically just getting the motivation to get started. The promise of only needing to work five minutes at a time on a task is usually enough to push yourself into getting past that initial challenge of just getting started.
Should you only feel that you have the energy and/or motivation to work on a task during those five allotted minutes, that’s perfectly fine. Just take another five minutes in about one hour and work on it again. Continue working on the task for five minutes during every waking hour until the task is done. Eventually, your task will get done, and you’ll be able to take at least one thing off of your plate.
The five minute rule is just one variation of many time management skill sets that can improve your focus and overall productivity. If you find that you are running into consistent difficulties with motivation and focus, reaching out for professional help can be beneficial to help find coping strategies that work for you and your lifestyle.
