How to waste 20 minutes of time

Look, I get it. Wasting twenty minutes sounds like the opposite of what you should be doing. But sometimes your brain just needs a break from all the serious stuff. The trick is making it feel intentional rather than anxiety-inducing. Here's how to lose yourself for exactly 20 minutes—whether you go down digital rabbit holes or stick to old-school distractions. And yeah, these breaks might actually help you get more done later.

What is the best way to waste 20 minutes online?

The internet's basically designed for this. Don't try to learn anything or do deep work. That's not the point. Just pick something low-effort and high-distraction. Open Instagram or TikTok. Don't search for anything specific. Just scroll your feed. The algorithm does the rest—memes, videos, ads you'll forget in seconds. After five minutes, hop over to YouTube. Click something clickbaity, like "I Bought the World's Largest Gummy Bear." Watch it. Let autoplay take over. Before you know it, fifteen minutes have disappeared. Spend the last five checking email or Slack, but don't reply. Just read and close. That's it.

Can you waste 20 minutes without a screen?

Totally. No-screen time wasting can actually feel more refreshing, weirdly. Try the "organized mess" technique. Find a cluttered drawer or desk. Don't clean it. Just pick stuff up, look at it, put it back. Feels productive but isn't. Another option—stare out the window. Pick a tree or a car, follow it with your eyes, let your mind wander. Got a pet? Spend twenty minutes with them. Pet them, talk to them, watch them do nothing. This kind of waste lowers cortisol levels. Science or whatever.

Is there a checklist for wasting 20 minutes effectively?

Yeah, here's one. Follow it so you don't accidentally end up being productive.

• Step 1: Set a timer for 20 minutes. Seriously. Without it, you'll lose an hour.
• Step 2: Pick one low-stakes thing. Don't multitask.
• Step 3: Avoid anything with a deadline or consequence.
• Step 4: Don't check your calendar, to-do list, or bank account.
• Step 5: Do something that requires zero decisions.
• Step 6: When the timer goes off, stop. Don't finish the video or article.

What do experts say about wasting small blocks of time?

Productivity folks love the Pomodoro Technique—25-minute work intervals. But they also get that deliberate breaks matter. Adam Grant, the organizational psychologist guy, talks about "micro-bursts of distraction" resetting your focus. Here's a rough breakdown of how different twenty-minute activities mess with your head.

"The most productive people are not those who work non-stop. They are the ones who can waste 20 minutes without guilt, then return to work with renewed energy." — Cal Newport, author of Deep Work

Frequently asked questions about wasting 20 minutes