Use the 12-minute rule

Wednesday 21 September 2022, 14:41 by Elvira Smit | 4,328 views | 1 comment

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Sometimes, after a day with too many emails and meetings, I am tired. So tired that I think I can only watch television. But with the 12-minute rule, I now know whether I am making a fuss or genuinely tired.

Tired enough to flop on the sofa

Perhaps being tired is my biggest enemy. A creative enemy too, because it comes in many forms: tired enough to flop on the sofa, tired legs, can't-be-bothered tired, too-much-food tired or done-too-much tired.

That enemy prefers to show up in the afternoon and evening. In the morning I can take on the world, I am sharp and get a lot done. But as morning turns into afternoon, my energy fades. And then the trouble starts.

Working out whether you can do something

Then you can do two things. You can give in to it, or you can resist. The trouble is that resisting also takes energy, which you already think you do not have. That is what the 12-minute rule is for.

The rule was originally intended for runners, but fortunately it can be used more widely too. The idea came from a study by Maastricht University: students were divided into two groups for a running session during which their speed and heart rate were measured.

Group 1 had to say beforehand how fit they thought they were. Group 2 only made an assessment after 12 minutes.

The result: Group 1's predictions were worthless. But Group 2 proved fairly accurate at estimating their performance.

Applying it to photography

Now, I am not a runner, far from it, but I like using this rule. For example, when I do not feel like taking photographs.

Then it is useful to know that I cannot predict how I will feel if I do something other than sit around feeling tired. And therefore what happens when I step out of that sofa-flopping mode and simply go and take photographs.

It often turns out that I still have other little buckets of energy I can draw on. Because photography actually gives me energy.

So, the next time you think you are tired, get up and take photographs for 12 minutes. Only then will you know whether you are genuinely tired.

You might also like

• 

  Rules! Good to learn, good to let go

  by Erik van Rosmalen

• 

  Why do you get so tired in a museum?

  by Elvira Smit

• 

  Photography rules are not meant to be followed strictly

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  The basics of photography in 10 minutes

  by Elja Trum

• 

  Street photography tip: Check the rules abroad

  by Michiel Heijmans

• 

  Forget composition rules. Trust your feelings more.

  by Nando Harmsen

1 comment

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.