From boiling an egg to changing your life: a timer can do it all

The concept of a timer might seem simple, a mere practical tool, but time is so integral to our culture and psyche that timers can be far more powerful than you imagine.

Our timer is simple and easy to use, just set the time you need, press start, and it will alert you when the time is up. But that act can unleash a lot more. There are plenty of unexpected uses, and experiments you can try, with a simple timer.

But, before we get into that, let’s start with some of the more practical uses.

The everyday timer

The use of timers has been well-known for a long time. Before we had digital timers or even clockwork mechanisms, our ancestors had alternatives. Some techniques were approximate, like using the moving shadows of the day to estimate the hours passing, or markings on a candle to illustrate the progress of the night. The most accurate, though, was what’s now known as an hourglass or sand-timer.

This measured time by simply limiting the flow of sand through a small aperture. Although simple, it was highly adaptable, and by using different apertures or volumes of sand, timers could be made for a wide variety of uses. And they were infinitely reusable, once done, they could just be turned upside down to start again.

Its importance was such that it has woven its way into our visual iconography. Although a centuries old method of timing, you don’t have to look far on a computer screen to see one: it’s even what we have used on BellClocks for our timer.

Its value was high because there have always been activities in our lives that benefit from accurately measuring the passage of time.

Practical uses

Cooking is, perhaps, the first use of a timer that many think of. Indeed, the sand timer is often called an egg-timer because it is a popular way to time the boiling of an egg.

Timers are essential for cooking. Whether it’s letting the microwave count down for you, or setting your timer to take a cake out of the oven, our meals might not be quite so nice if it weren’t for the humble timer.

But we have carried the timer into other parts of our lives. They are frequently used for exercise. While the stopwatch timing the length of a race or duration of a game might be what we typically think of, timers are used by many to help time their workouts. Some might use them for a 60-minute gentle walk, while others opt for a 1-minute timer for high-intensity interval training, but the concept is the same.

Students often use timers to help with studying. Research has shown, and most people know from experience, that people have optimal study durations. Methods like the Pomodoro technique, named after a novelty tomato-shaped timer, use this to break work sessions into 25- or 30-minute periods of work, with 5-minute breaks.

Others use timers in a more reflective way, setting a timer for a meditation session, and disconnecting until the time is up.

And many use timers for work. Many meetings will have timed agendas, with each item allotted a specific period of time. The timer helps people to remain focused on the discussion, helping meetings to finish on time while remaining productive.

Using in sport and competition

Timers are frequently used in competitive events. Although Einstein suggested that time might not be constant, for practical purposes they are an easy way to ensure fairness, the timer applies to everyone.

That means it’s used to time races to see not just who wins, but you can also see who was the fastest across different races, or if an athlete is getting faster or slower. Games also benefit, with equal periods of play ensuring that no team has an advantage.

Even seemingly sedate games like chess use timers to limit the time each player can spend thinking about their next move.

And while exams might not be the type of competition that most people think about, they also use timers to ensure every entrant has a fair opportunity. We would never pretend that a 3-hour exam timer is as much fun as a 45-minute soccer timer, though.

The psychology of timers

Timers are psychologically compelling. Just think about how many movies you’ve seen and books you’ve read that feature some sort of ticking clock device. From timers on bombs in thrillers to the race to a closing airport gate in romcoms, timers and countdowns can affect us emotionally.

And the hidden benefit of timers is that you can use that to influence the way you behave. We have all had the experience of a task or chore we were putting off, only to find that it was quick and easy when we finally had to get it done.

Timers help us by taking advantage of features from that experience.

First, it can create a deadline. If we feel we have to get something done by a certain time, we tend to focus more. We might be surrounded by the same distractions, but somehow that game on the phone, or social media app, become less appealing.

Second, setting a limit, like using a 10-minute timer, can make tasks more easily digestible. You might not have been looking forward to it, but suddenly knowing that you only have to do it for ten minutes makes it a more appealing prospect.

Experimenting with a timer

You will quickly think of tasks that you could use a timer for. Common ones include setting a 10-minute timer for some speed-cleaning, a 30-minute timer to clear space for meditation, or even an hour-timer to get lost in a book.

Why not try a few of the experiments below? You might find that you don’t just discover how powerful using a timer is, but also something about yourself, too.

Beating procrastination

Find a task or tasks that you have been putting off. Don’t worry about how long they might take, just set a 15-minute timer and start.

Once you have finished, take stock of what you have accomplished. It might be that drawer you’ve been meaning to clear out, or that out-of-reach bit of dusting that needed steps.

If you’ve finished one, or more, it might surprise you how much you can accomplish in a short time, and even if you haven’t, you’ve made some progress.

Test your fitness

Choose a simple, repetitive exercise, like push-ups or squats. Now, set a 3-minute timer and see how many you can do in those three minutes.

You might be surprised, but many people are disappointed because we tend to exercise by repetition, so we might do ten easily, but quickly tire at 11 and beyond.

To extend the experiment, repeat it every few days and record the results, you’ll be surprised how quickly you will see improvements.

A social media detox, or a binge

If you are addicted to social media, try using a timer to control your use.

Try setting a timer for a long time, an hour — or perhaps just 30 minutes if you are really addicted — and don’t allow yourself a single glance at a social media site. Pay attention to how you feel, and how often your mind thinks about checking.

Then try setting a shorter period, perhaps a 10-minute timer, and use that time to do nothing but look at social media. You might be surprised at how quickly the time passes, but also think about how satisfied you feel after your binge. Social media algorithms are designed to get you to keep on the site. Knowing how that affects you can help you control your use.

Be creative

Many of us want to be more creative, but are held back, feeling we aren’t good enough, or just don’t have that creative spark. But when you listen to many artists and writers, you discover that they have those feelings, too, but they just force themselves to work.

Find a good space to work, find the tools you need — a keyboard, notebook, or even a canvas and paint — then start a 20-minute timer and, instead of looking at a blank page, screen, or canvas, fill it. Let words come out, or paint flow.

By using a timer, you can force yourself to unblock your creative flow. And remember, no-one is a natural artist, it comes with practice, and however good or bad your work is, you are twenty minutes better than when you started.

Boost your brain

It’s important to keep our brains active, but how often do we really exercise our minds? Most people go through their day-to-day life and might not find the time they need to stimulate their brain.

Find an intellectual challenge that you enjoy, it might be crosswords, sudoku, or a jigsaw puzzle. Then set a 15-minute time and tackle it. It’s not necessarily about finishing the puzzle you have set yourself, but working on it solidly.

Whether it’s trying to think of words, the logic of numbers, or matching pieces, you are forcing your brain to create new networks and stay fresh.

And all with our simple timer

We know that it looks simple, but that’s its hidden power. Easy-to-use and attractive, why not start the Bellclocks timer now and see how powerful just a few minutes can become.