The Five-Minute Rule: To Get Started When You’re Stuck

Big thank you for this fantasic suggestion from our ND BrainSpace Stratford group.

If you’ve ever found yourself procrastinating — knowing something needs doing but feeling completely unable to start — you’re not alone. For many neurodivergent people, starting is often the hardest part.

That’s where the five-minute rule comes in.

What is the five-minute rule?

The idea is simple:
👉 Choose one task you’re putting off (break it down into chunks if need be!)
👉 Set a timer for five minutes
👉 Work on the task until the timer ends

When the five minutes are up, you’re allowed to stop.

This isn’t about finishing the task. It’s about lowering the barrier to starting.

Why it works

Big tasks can feel overwhelming because our brains jump straight to everything the task involves. Five minutes feels small, manageable, and safe — which helps bypass that stuck, avoidant feeling.

Often, once you’ve started, momentum kicks in and you might choose to keep going. But even if you stop after five minutes, you’ve still made progress.

That matters.

This isn’t a just a ‘do more’ productivity hack

The five-minute rule isn’t about pushing harder or squeezing more out of yourself. It’s a compassionate strategy, especially helpful when motivation is low, energy is limited, or perfectionism is loud.

You’re not failing if you stop after five minutes. You’re practising starting — and that enough.

Using it gently

The rule works well alongside other supportive tools:

• playing music (whatever feels right for you, music from your childhood was suggested by the group)

• pairing it with something regulating (a warm drink, a cosy space)

• breaking tasks down into the smallest possible first step

• setting yourself a reward to look forward to

Think of it as an invitation, not a demand.

A kinder way forward

Sometimes five minutes turns into twenty.
Sometimes it stays at five — and that’s okay.

The five-minute rule reminds us that starting small still counts, and that progress doesn’t have to be loud or exhausting to be real.

If getting started feels hard right now, you don’t need more pressure.

You might just need five minutes — and permission to stop.

Come and explore this together at ND BrainSpace

The five-minute rule came from a brilliant conversation in our ND BrainSpace Stratford-upon-Avon group, and it’s exactly the kind of idea we share together each month.

ND BrainSpace is a supportive, neuroaffirming space for neurodivergent adults (diagnosed or curious) to pause, reflect, share experiences, and discover practical tools that actually work in real life.

We meet:

• in person in Stratford-upon-Avon, and

• online at lunchtime, so you can join from home, work, or your favourite comfy corner

There’s no pressure to talk — you’re welcome to listen quietly or join in as much (or as little) as feels right for you.

If this blog resonated, you’d be very welcome to join us.

👉 https://www.chooseyourway.co.uk/nd-brainspace