My £13 Visual Timer

Posted on in Learning

Switching from “I should study tonight” to “I studied tonight” came down to one small tool: a 60-minute visual timer. I’m using this one.

Why a physical timer?

  • No notifications, no rabbit holes. My phone stays out of reach. Setting a physical dial is a commitment ritual.
  • Time you can see. The shrinking red wedge makes remaining time tangible; I don’t have to check a clock and break flow.
  • Silent by default. There’s no ticking, and the alert is optional, so I can keep it discreet when others are around.

How I use it for my 3-hour/week plan

I study maths Mon/Wed/Fri, 1 hour each. The timer makes that cadence effortless:

  1. Twist to 55 minutes. That’s my focused block.
  2. Leave 5 minutes for a quick recap: one problem redo + one sentence of notes.
  3. Alert off or low. I usually keep the chime off; the visual disk hitting zero is enough. (Nice that I can choose.)
  4. Park it on my desk in plain sight so the red wedge nudges me to start when I sit down.

My session template with the timer

  • 0:00–0:05 — warm-up (redo yesterday’s problem)
  • 0:05–0:25 — read examples (Schaum’s College Algebra)
  • 0:25–0:55 — exercises (6–10 problems)
  • 0:55–1:00 — micro-review note

That’s it. No apps, no dashboard. Just the book, a pencil, and the timer.

Small details that mattered

  • Protective case. I chuck it in a bag and take it to the office without worrying about scuffs.
  • Low-battery reminder. I’ve not been caught out mid-session—handy for something I now rely on.
  • One-handed set. Twist, and I’m off. The lack of faff lowers the activation energy to start.

Results after a few weeks

  • Consistency: I’ve logged every Mon/Wed/Fri session for algebra—zero skips.
  • Less context switching: Not checking a phone timer keeps my head in the book.
  • Better endings: The last 5 minutes exist because the dial forces me to stop and summarise.

If you want to copy this

  • Get a 60-minute visual timer with no ticking and optional alert; this Yunbaoit model is inexpensive and does the job.
  • Decide your exact study slots (mine: Mon/Wed/Fri evenings).
  • Use 55+5 as the default structure, and protect the last 5 minutes.
  • Keep the timer visible—out of sight, out of mind.

If you already have your book and pencils, this little dial might be the cheapest productivity boost you buy all year.

↤ Previous Post