They're not cheap, especially for a timer that's bare bones (~20 USD).
But it has changed my work life.
People who want to interrupt me while I'm working can now see how long until I have my next break. So I am interrupted less.
Now I self-regulate a bit better, so I'm able to work longer without destroying myself in the process. I take breaks that help me with repetitive strain injuries and with feeling like I'm a human being and not just a machine.
Now I remember to actually start timers when I start working. I know this is a bit silly, but I was having trouble creating a habit of stopping for breaks. I tried to solve this by setting timers on my phone, but I constantly forgot doing it. Now I'm reminded to start a timer by something that I see on my desk.
Nice onel, thanks for sharing! This is something I can improve on aswell, as a desk worker. Furthermore because taking eyes of the monitor screen regulary is supposed to reduce eye strain! I got this timer for my desk and workouts at home.
Visual timers are a dyscalculia and time-blindness game changer! I don't like Time Timer being "backwards" but the (often cheaper) alternative brands offer plenty more options! My Secura brand timer goes the opposite direction and I prefer it.
Ah. To set up the timer, you do pull the hand counter clockwise, as if you were pulling a spring-loaded car backwards for it to move forward on its own. After you release the Time Timer, its hand will move forward on its own, normally, clockwise.
It is a bit unusual, but the point of the timer is to see how much time you’ve got left. It’s like a battery charge percentage. You know that when the battery reaches zero, you’ve got to charge it up again.
I hope the explanation helps. If not, feel free to ask or to check out the videos in the Time Timer website. After all, it is a strange product.
Ah that makes sense. Maybe it's a European/US difference, but it could be just a Time Timer thing. My air fryer is from an American company and it has the same timer as you (wind it up clockwise, then the hand moves counter-clockwise).
I wonder if both types of timers (wind up clockwise and wind up counter-clockwise) seek to distinguish themselves from normal clocks in different ways:
Wind up clockwise timers (like your stove and my airfryer) let you know it's not a normal clock by flowing counter-clockwise.
Clockwise timers (like a Time Timer) let you know it's not a normal clock by having a red disk slowly become smaller.