Two minutes is the length dentists recommend for brushing your teeth and also the cut-off of the famous "two-minute rule" against procrastination. Press Start and the alarm sounds when time is up, so you never have to watch a clock.
Brushing: why two minutes?
Major dental associations recommend brushing for two minutes, twice a day, with a fluoride toothpaste. People who brush by feel often stop at around 45 seconds, which leaves plaque on the inner surfaces and the back molars. A practical way to split the time is four quadrants of 30 seconds each: upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left. When the alarm sounds, you are done.
- Use short, gentle strokes and avoid pressing hard.
- Angle the bristles about 45 degrees toward the gumline.
- Do not forget your tongue and the inside surfaces of your front teeth.
- Skip heavy rinsing straight afterward so the fluoride can keep working.
The two-minute rule
Productivity author David Allen popularized the idea that if a task takes less than two minutes, you should do it immediately rather than write it down and put it off. Author James Clear uses a different version for building habits: shrink a habit to a version that takes two minutes, such as "put on your running shoes" or "read one page". The logic is that starting is the hardest part, and a timer turns the start into something small with a guaranteed end.
How to try it today
- Pick something you have been avoiding, such as answering an email or clearing your desk.
- Start the 2-minute timer and work only on that.
- When the alarm sounds, decide: stop with the satisfaction of having started, or keep going. You will often keep going.
Other uses for two minutes
- Plank or wall sit: two one-minute sets with a rest in between.
- Rest between light sets: in muscular-endurance work, one to two minutes of rest is common.
- Short steeping: delicate green teas and some herbs need only two minutes to avoid bitterness.
- Lightning speech: rehearsing a two-minute talk is a great clarity test: if the idea doesn't fit, it is still fuzzy.
- Micro-meditation: sit, close your eyes and count ten slow breaths.
Small routines that stick
Two minutes also works as a cue for building routines: tie the timer to something you already do every day, such as brushing at night or making coffee, and use the same slot for a second micro-task, like watering a plant or writing one line in a journal. Tiny, easy-to-repeat routines tend to last longer than big promises.
About this page
The alarm repeats until you stop it, so you cannot miss it. You can add or subtract minutes, set an exact time with seconds, mute the sound, turn on browser notifications or go full screen to read the clock from across the room. For longer times, use the 3, 5 and 10-minute shortcuts below.
Other durations
See also the customizable online timer, the online stopwatch and the workout timers (CrossFit, Tabata, EMOM).