I Tried the Viral 'Actually Take' Method To Cut Back on Everyday Stress
In most aspects of my life, I'm great about not procrastinating. Still, there are a handful of chores and tasks I tend to put off until the end of the day — or, worse yet, for months. When that happens, the chore can feel bigger and more daunting as time goes on, until I really don't want to do it at all.
Recently, though, I found a method that eases the pressure that inevitably comes with procrastinating doing a household task. It's called the 'actually take' method.
I came across this video from creator Christi Newrutzen, which is part of her series titled 'How long does it actually take?' in which Newrutzen times herself to see exactly how long it will take to complete a household chore she's been procrastinating. In this TikTok, Newrutzen takes seven minutes to clean her shower drain (which she had never cleaned before!) and 25 minutes to clean the rest of the shower for a total of 32 minutes.
Most people tend to put off chores and tasks because they don't want to or can't put in the time they think it will take. When you time yourself actually doing it, more often than not you might find that the thing you've been dreading because you thought it would take an hour really takes 15 minutes (or less). Knowing how long it actually takes to do something relieves some pressure so you can get on with your day without guilt, and it can help you build momentum to get more things done because it won't feel as daunting.
I decided to give this method a shot. I timed how long it took to do a few tasks on my to-do list that I dread the most and procrastinate nearly every time.
Doing the laundry has always been my favorite chore, and I even put most of my clothes away immediately — except for a few things that take extra effort. For example, all of my bedding is in a storage bag under the bed, and my workout clothes go on the top shelf of my closet (which requires me to get out the double step stool from the utility closet). In other words, these items sometimes live on top of my dresser for weeks. When I set out to clear off my dresser using the 'actually take' method, though, I discovered it only took 5 minutes and 39 seconds to put these things away in their rightful place and be able to see the top of my dresser once again.
I love getting into a freshly made bed with clean sheets, but I don't love making our California king bed by myself. If my husband is busy with work, I typically get too lazy to change the sheets without his help. After timing myself, however, I learned that it only took me 2 minutes and 50 seconds to strip the bed, and 4 minutes and 31 seconds to make the bed with fresh sheets (including the time it took to get the quilt from under my bed), for a total of just 7 minutes and 21 seconds.
Calling to make any kind of appointment seems like a thing of the past, but every now and then it's a must. My dentist doesn't have an online scheduler, which means I have to call. Although I've always known this doesn't take a long time, it's still something I constantly put off. Calling to reschedule my appointment only took me 1 minute and 20 seconds, which made me feel silly for procrastinating in the first place (I've been putting this off since February!). All I had to do was rip off that proverbial Band-Aid. I can see myself putting off these tasks less and less over time because I now know exactly how long they take. This method also helped me snap out of the 'I don't have time' mindset, as most of these items on my to-do list actually take less time than an episode of my favorite sitcom. In turning these chores into a bit of a competition, I realized they weren't as big of a deal as I'd been building them up to be, relieved myself of the stress of not doing them, and gave myself the satisfaction of finally checking them off my list.
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