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It’s so easy to procrastinate when your to-do list gets too long. Even if you’re somewhat motivated to tackle one of your tasks, the sinking feeling of overwhelm lingers. The good news is there’s a way to stop this cycle even before it begins: The key is to break all tasks into smaller, approachable bite-sized steps so the anxiety doesn’t prevent you from getting started.
James Clear of “Atomic Habits” fame calls this philosophy “the 2-minute rule,” which essentially means that if you can complete a task within 120 seconds, you should tackle it now instead of waiting until later.
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I’ve used this philosophy in my professional and personal life, and I’ve also included it in some of my self-care goals. Here’s how I use the two-minute rule in my life.
When I first discovered this rule, I combined all the tasks on my to-lists on one piece of paper to get a visual of everything I had to do. I noticed three different realms — personal, professional, and self-care — and decided on the three most important tasks within those categories.
I wanted to make a better effort to connect with my friends and family. It wasn’t always feasible to talk on the phone or meet for lunch or dinner, but it would take less than two minutes to text or send an email to my sister or one of my childhood friends. A simple, “Hey I just want to check in to see how you were doing,” wasn’t a heavy lift. In less than two minutes, I reached out to at least three to four people I hadn’t talked to for some time.
In my professional life, I hated waking up to a full email inbox. I decided to use two minutes to go through my messages and respond to two to three easy emails. The responses usually required a couple of sentences or less and as a result, my inbox was a little less all-consuming than the day before. I used this technique for at least a few minutes every single day. After a week of trying the two-minute rule with my inbox, the feeling of overwhelm became less intense and I actually replied to several emails throughout the day.
I am always looking to improve my self-care regimen. Because my work involves hours at the computer, I tried different tactics to be less sedentary. I started doing kettlebell swings for two minutes after a few hours at my desk. At the end of the day, I’d completed at least 50 or more swings and had taken several short breaks to stand up and move around for a minute (or two).
Put Yourself in the Best Position to Start
When I decided to take on the two-minute rule, I started with habits I could easily incorporate in my daily life: drinking water, folding a few pieces of laundry, straightening a part of the house that wasn’t too messy, unloading the dishwasher, and similar to-dos. I found the best way to use this rule successfully is to take on quick tasks, not a huge project. For instance, I couldn’t read an entire book in two minutes, but if I wanted to read more, I could get a few pages into a new novel. The same applied to other, loftier goals like meditating. I started with two-minute increments of meditation throughout the day and by the end of a week, I found that I’d sat in silence for at least 15 to 20 minutes in seven days.
Once I started taking the time to carve out two-minute moments, I found myself building on those short time blocks and those habits became a natural part of my day. The key is to find the goal you want to accomplish and break it into a small series of tasks you can actually do in two minutes.
Initially, I dismissed how “productive” I would be with the two-minute rule. But after working on several habits over several weeks, these micro-moments added up and led to less overwhelm. I wasn’t spending hours doing a task because I had budgeted my time throughout the week. In a surprising twist, my to-do list became shorter and I found myself crossing more things off the list. Committing to the process by focusing on the “tiniest” parts of my habit and not worrying about the end goal gave me a whole new perspective on my to-do list.
In order to measure my productivity, I kept a chart of my progress. I listed the task and the minutes I spent on it each day, and at the end of the week I’d tally my time total. Tracking my progress visually became a motivator. In some instances, I did more than what the two-minute rule required, but I understood it was the natural progression of having a routine and implementing a ritual. Working on these small steps helped me make a lifestyle change by turning my overwhelm into action and approaching my goals with a different perspective. Crossing lots of tasks off my to-do list was just an added bonus.
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I love sleeping as much as the next person, but the process of getting ready for bed is a whole other story. It’s so hard to get up from where I’m sitting when I know I have to change into my pajamas, let the dog out (and back in), brush my teeth, take my makeup off if I’m wearing any — and I’m still probably forgetting something. When I’m finally settled underneath the covers and dozing off, the slightest turn has me jolting back awake because I already know my pillow has fallen through the crack between my mattress and headboard.
It’s important to mention that my bed frame is a little unique: When my dad put the pieces together, he accidentally screwed one of the wooden boards on the back surface of the headboard instead of the front, right under where my pillows go. As a result, the only thing that would likely remedy my pillow problem is rebuilding that part of my bed. But if your pillow falls merely because you have an inconvenient gap between your mattress and headboard, we have a much easier solution for you. The SnugStop mattress filler is the Amazon product you need to look into, pronto.
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This product is basically a foam wedge that comes in five standard sizes and lies behind your bed pillows. You have to order its case separately, though that won’t be a problem because the shams are also listed on the same product page. Not only does this mattress filler give your pillow a slightly elevated inclination, but it also keeps it in place, so you don’t have to fish it out in the middle of the night. You can also place the wedge next to the wall or between two mattresses that have been pushed together in order to eliminate that uncomfortable valley where they meet. It’s basically the soft, comfy gap filler of your dreams!
Additionally, the SnugStop wedge has more than 11,000 five-star Amazon ratings, with one reviewer writing: “After years of having a bed with a gap that I had been stuffing a towel into, I happened to come across this wedge. I wish I had found this years ago because it would have solved the problem of dropping my phone, TV remote, and even my glasses behind the bed.” This bedding accessory also has a pocket on each side, where you can store such items and not have to worry about losing them in a tangle of sheets. You won’t even know the wedge is there, but you’ll rest soundly knowing everything is in its rightful spot.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Name:Nina Haines (@nina.haines on TikTok) Location: East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC Size: Approximately 900 square feet Type of Home: Two-bedroom apartment Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting
Nina Haines’ East Williamsburg railroad-style apartment is many things. It’s colorful; it’s cozy; it’s a personification of healing one’s inner child. Haines, who’s been renting the unit for a year and a half, has completed a variety of DIY projects, including painting her kitchen cabinets purple, adding marble contact paper to her countertops and refrigerator, and adding a squiggle-shaped painted accent wall. “There are colors and patterns and kitschy touches everywhere,” she says. “My friend once commented that it looks like Lizzie McGuire threw up everywhere.”
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And while this marketer, writer, creator, and the founder of the Sapphic book club, Sapph-Lit, has done plenty of work to make the space her own, she’s not done yet. “My home is a constant work in progress, I’m constantly adding and changing things around.” As she does with her online book club and its more than 6,000 members, Haines makes it a priority to create a sense of community in her home. “I love that it’s an unserious space,” she writes. “I want people to feel safe and joyous here, I want them to know that they are welcome to be themselves and be however they need to be in that moment.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Maximalist bisexual librarian from the ’70s and she lives in Copenhagen.
Favorite Element: My purple vintage media console from the ’70s via Dobbin St. Vintage Coop.
Biggest Challenge: There’s so much wall space! I’m in a railroad apartment with super tall ceilings and the main living area has no windows, so there’s a lot of blank space that I feel compelled to fill. I try and make little moments out of different sections of the wall: gallery wall, record wall, vintage glassware shelving, bookshelves on bookshelves on bookshelves, media center. I still don’t think it’s done. I’m still toying with what I want to do above my IKEA kitchen cart, and I think I want to add even more bookshelves above the two above the TV.
Proudest DIY: My kitchen — the before and after photos are absolutely wild to me. I painted the cabinets purple, added custom ceramic fruit knobs from Etsy, used marble contact paper to cover the countertops and fridge, painted the spice racks yellow, and put up shelves for my vintage glassware collection. It’s such a happy place to cook now!
Budget: $2K/month in rent – biggest splurge is my Floyd bed frame. I had a $40 wooden bed frame from IKEA for two years (it was BREAKING) and I told myself if I was going to replace it, I was going to get my Big Girl Adult Bed Frame. I saved up and bought it during their Black Friday sale.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? It doubles as my personal library — because of the work I do with my book club, I house over 500 books and have them all over the apartment. I’ve had to find a lot of creative ways to store and organize and display them. My friends come over and borrow books all the time, and I keep track of who borrows what so it really is quite like a library! That’s what sold me on the place originally, the built-in bookcase in my office/second bedroom.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Furniture that doubles as storage is everything to me. Get all of the underbed storage, the cabinets, the sets of drawers, the bins. Storage can double as decor, too! Shelves to display vintage glassware is one of my favorite ways to fill up wall space.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Take your time. It doesn’t have to all be done at once. Your home will feel authentic to you when you accumulate objects and DIYs over time — to me purchases mean more when they’re secondhand or vintage, because then the object feels more unique to me and my home. Nesting is a process! Enjoy the early stages of its potential.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Staying hydrated can be more complicated than you’d like to admit. Specific brands of bottled water can taste weird — yes, water has a taste, and I’m not listening to any opposing arguments — plus, the plastic is wasteful. If you don’t invest in the right reusable container, however, you could end up with a bottle that’s too small or too heavy, or something that leaks at the slightest tip of your bag. For these reasons, when it comes to dependable tumblers that’ll help you get your required daily water intake, we always recommend Stanley. You’re likely already familiar with this brand’s most popular product, the Quencher, which frequently gets relaunched in new colors and subsequently sells out. But we want to call your attention to another Stanley drinkware product that similarly has the capacity (in both senses of the word) to upgrade your hydration game. The IceFlow tumbler is the next water bottle to invest in, especially now that it’s available in six new colors!
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Not only is the IceFlow tumbler available in multiple different shapes and sizes, but select models now also come in new, pretty shades that’ll get you excited for your next outdoor excursion. The lineup includes tigerlily, fog, citron, jade, alpine, and rose quartz. Some of the colors are already sold out in certain models, so you don’t want to wait too long before selecting your favorite hue for purchase. Beyond these stunning color offerings, the IceFlow has tons of great qualities to offer. For example, this BPA-free tumbler is made of double-walled stainless steel, so it’ll keep your water cold and your coffee hot throughout the day. You also get a leak-proof lid, complete with a flip straw and a handle that makes this product so easy to carry. Whether you’re going on a hike or catching the train to work, you’ll never lose your grip.
Additionally, each version is dishwasher-safe, and both the 20-ounce and 30-ounce tumblers are roomy but still small enough to fit in your car cup holders. The latter size seems to be most popular with Stanley customers, with one reviewer writing, “Terrific product — easy to clean, fill, (and) drink from! Very durable, and I get lots of compliments.” Other shoppers wrote that their tumblers keep ice cubes solid for hours and are super easy to transport between classes. In other words, the IceFlow has it all: size, durability, portability, and now six beautiful new color options!
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Here at AT, when someone mentions a certain brand, there are often one or two products synonymous with its name that immediately come to mind. For instance, you say Le Creuset, we think Dutch oven. You say Misen, we think cutlery. You say Great Jones, we think … of a lot of things, actually! This DTC retailer has mastered the art of cookware in virtually every category, regardless of whether we’re talking about muffin pans, mixing bowls, and, yes, Dutch ovens again. Not only are all of their products incredibly durable and long-lasting, but they’re also aesthetically pleasing and always available in a range of vibrant colors. (Don’t even get us started on their collabs.)
But, if we had to pick just one item that best symbolizes everything we love about Great Jones, it would have to be the Holy Sheet. What’s more, we have an exclusive discount code for the Holy Sheet Duo: Now until January 20, all you have to do is enter APT20 at checkout to save $20 on two pans in the shades blueberry or raspberry!
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We followed this sheet pan’s launch four years ago and have only grown more enamored with it ever since. For one, our editors can’t get enough of its versatility. This flat, unadorned pan is perfect for preparing a wide variety of eats, such as cookies and other baked desserts, roasted veggies, biscuits, and so much more. It measures just over a foot wide and either 17.25 inches or 18.25 inches long, depending on which color you choose. Either way, you get two standard-sized pieces of bakeware that can each hold a substantial amount of food and that you’ll have no problem storing afterward.
Made of aluminized steel with steel rods also placed through its rolled edges, the Holy Sheet is guaranteed to maintain its shape after lots of use and not succumb to warping. It might feel a bit weighty when you remove it from the oven, but that heaviness just speaks to its high-quality construction. Most importantly, your baked goods will come out evenly warmed, perfectly browned, and ready to impress. Of course, the Holy Sheets will only add to your nice kitchen backdrop with their simple design and adorable colors. In other words, these pans are as pretty as they are functional. You won’t look back after purchasing them, especially when you know that you got them for $20 less than their original price!
