I tried out the ‘three-minute rule’ for housework, exercise and having sex

IS THERE a dreaded job in your to-do listing you retain pushing aside?

You aren’t alone. A whopping 85 per cent of us are responsible of swerving vital must-do duties.

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However consultants imagine the trick to tackling boring jobs might be as simple as one, two, three . . . minutes.

In a trial, psychologists at Oxford College discovered that when a job was shortened to only 180 seconds, 98 per cent of individuals persevered with it for longer.

Solar author and self-confessed “queen of procrastination” Georgette Culley admits that she usually places issues off till the eleventh hour.

Right here she tries out the three-minute rule.

WAXING LEGS

I USUALLY spend greater than £60 a month on waxing, however with the price of dwelling hovering I’m ­having to chop again on luxuries.

I’m nonetheless decided to be fuzz-free, although, so I go for some £1 strips from Poundland.

I cringe as I press the pink, sticky paper on to my leg and depend to 5 earlier than ripping it off.

It takes me about ten makes an attempt to truly do it correctly – however not solely has the wax taken off the hair, it has ripped a layer of my pores and skin off too, and I’m left with an enormous, crimson patch.

There is no such thing as a approach I can do that chore in three ­minutes – with my pathetic ache threshold I’d be right here all day.

SPRING CLEANING

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I HAVE forgotten what the lounge rug seems like underneath all of the toy practice tracks, crayons and teddies strewn throughout the ground.

It feels as if it can take me ages to kind by means of – however I inform myself that so much might be achieved in three minutes.

I set the timer and handle to pack away a field of toys in two minutes.

I’m admiring my tidy ground when my son totters again in and ideas the entire field over once more, scattering toys in all places. Sigh.

I transfer on to the blinds. My nan instructed me that in the event you keep on high of dusting and do a few minutes a day, it received’t construct up – and she or he’s proper.

Impressively, in lower than three minutes I’ve ­completed the shutter blinds in the lounge.

PHONE CALLS

THERE’S no such factor as a fast cellphone name with my mom, so I normally put it off till I’m within the temper for an extended natter.

But when I may make a name in three minutes to examine in on her, that might be nice – so I slyly select a time once I know she’ll be going out for her Sunday roast.

This manner, I determine, she’ll have to finish the decision first somewhat than me all the time feeling just like the dangerous man once I hold up. It really works a deal with and I’m off the road in lower than three minutes. Consequence! (Sorry, Mum.)

SORT BILLS

AFTER receiving an eye-wateringly excessive vitality invoice, I’m dreading opening the put up for the time being.

However I take my mum’s recommendation and rip off the plaster – or ought to that be envelope? – containing the subsequent.

Surprisingly, my water invoice shouldn’t be as dangerous as I had thought. After three minutes I’m on a roll, so I determine to sort out extra payments.

I find yourself spending 20 minutes on admin and have a smug feeling of satisfaction once I neatly file all of the paperwork away.

Who is that this new me?

GARDENING

AFTER an extended, chilly winter the garden is an overgrown mess so I determine to take issues into my very own fingers and use my accomplice’s beloved lawnmower.

It isn’t an enormous space that wants doing so I reckon I can full the job inside three minutes if I transfer shortly.

Not solely did finishing the duty really feel good, however the vitamin D from the sunshine helped elevate my spirits too.

Afterwards, I’m happy with the consequence and get out the deckchairs to rejoice with a sit-down and a well-deserved glass of wine.

HOME SPA

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I’VE had an anti-ageing LED masks for months however have nonetheless not taken it out of the field as a result of I didn’t assume I might have time to make use of it.

However a three-minute mild remedy pamper session sounds excellent.

Nevertheless, I find yourself wanting just like the psycho from horror movie Halloween and provides my son a fright.

Regardless of wanting ridiculous, I discover it enjoyable and lose monitor of time as I lastly unwind and change off.

Afterwards I really feel youthful, revitalised – and happy that I’ve lastly received spherical to utilizing it.

HAVING SEX

MOST of us don’t have the vitality for a sexathon after a busy day at work, however three minutes appears manageable sufficient.

I secretly set the egg timer and pounce on my boyfriend.

After he’s recovered from the shock of my spontaneous burst of ardour, our quick-fix session turns into an extended, satisfying encounter.

EXERCISING

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EXPERTS say that fast spurts of train might be extra helpful than footslogging away within the health club for hours, which fits me as I’m fairly lazy.

So three-minute runs 4 or 5 instances a day are excellent for my busy schedule, as I can match them in round my son and work.

I set my alarm and get going.

Realizing that I solely should do it for 3 minutes fills me with pleasure and I’ve extra vitality and run quicker.

I truly break right into a sweat, which I not often do once I’m jogging for 20 minutes.

And the very best bit about it’s you don’t even want to depart your own home.

You may jog on the spot for 3 minutes or dash round your backyard.

WASHING UP

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THE matriarchy is alive in our family as my man does nearly all of the housekeeping.

On the uncommon events that I contribute, I ­usually simply stuff soiled plates right into a dishwasher.

However after a terrifying fuel and electrical energy invoice quoting greater than £4,500 for a 12 months’s vitality, my accomplice is making us wash all the things up by hand and claims it solely takes “a few minutes”.

So I set the timer and get cracking.

After precisely three minutes, I’ve washed up a number of glasses and dishes left on the aspect from final night time and it truly took much less time than placing them into the dishwasher – though I received’t admit this to my accomplice.