If you love using Notion and want to be better with time-bound activities like meetings, deadlines, or study sessions, adding a timer can be really handy.
Even if you just want to make your Notion pages look cool without actually tracking your workflows, timers can add a nice touch. Whether you're a student trying to study better, a professional with tight schedules, or just someone who likes a bit of order, adding a timer in Notion can make things easier.
For example, suppose you are a project manager leading a software development team with Notion. You can support your agile workflows with timers for concentrated coding sessions, setting a two-hour timer for deep work followed by a brief sync, for instance.
And then you return from work and head to the gym - Notion timers can be of use here as well. By incorporating timers for various exercises and rest intervals, you effortlessly maintain a structured and efficient training session.
For example, set a 30-second timer for each set with a 1-minute break in between to sustain intensity and ensure your entire workout aligns with the allocated time.
Alright, we now know how useful the timer widgets in Notion are. Let’s see how to embed them into your page.
Here are the 8 steps to adding a timer to Notion:
1. Create a new page or open an existing one
To add a timer in Notion, simply create a new page or open an existing one where you want to insert the widget.
Throughout this article, we'll refer to the following page, which monitors the time a user spends running on a treadmill.
2. Choose a Notion timer widget
It’s time to look for the perfect timer widget for your Notion page. We want something that aligns with the theme and the aesthetics of the page.
After a brief search, we've narrowed down our choice to the GetKairo timer widget.
3. Modify the widget
While the primary function of the timer widget is to help you track how long it takes to complete a task or to help you limit a task to a preset time period, it would help if it aligns with the page’s aesthetics.
This way, it mixes well with the page and is easier on the eyes. You can fiddle with the colors and appearance of the timer widget right inside GetKairo’s widget page.
As demonstrated in the image below, we changed the color and skin of the widget to make it align with the tone of our page. We also reduced the countdown duration to 15 minutes.
4. Copy the embed code
All the widget specifications get captured in the embed code of the page. This includes color, skin, timer duration, etc.
You can locate the embed code at the bottom-right corner of your screen. We have also indicated it with an arrow in the previous image.
5. Create an embed block
Alright, let’s go back into the Notion page we created in the first step and embed the timer widget there.
The first step to that is initiating the embed block. To do that, type “/embed” within your page and click on the embed block option, as demonstrated in the image below.
6. Paste the embed code
Next, paste the embed code that you copied from the widget page in the embed block and click on the “Embed link” button.
This prompts Notion to insert the timer widget into the page, as demonstrated in the image below. It comes with all the specifications that we planned for while customizing the widget.
Next, you can click on the sleepy face to start the timer, right before you get on the treadmill.
7. Resize the widget (optional)
After embedding the timer widget, you can treat it like any other Notion block. You can move it around within the page, reuse it in other pages in the form of a synced block, etc. You can even resize it by pulling along its edges to arrange it properly on the page and make it fit seamlessly.
8. Edit the embed code (optional)
While we set the timer for 15 minutes in our example, it may not always be sufficient. For instance, you might want to extend your cardio session after a month because you have better endurance. Or, you might plan to go HIIT by sprinting for only two minutes.
You might also want to change the color and tone of the widget because it did not look too good on the page the first time.
Your timer widget must be flexible to accommodate your changing requirements. By editing the embed code, you can effectively make any changes you want. To do that, you can go to the Notion date and time widget of choice and edit it to your taste — the changes will reflect in the embed code automatically.
You can then go back to your Notion page and replace the embed code to bring the desired changes into effect.
Use-Cases of adding a timer to your Notion page
While we discussed fitness routine as a use-case in the previous section, there is so much more you can use the Notion timer widget for:
1. Task management
Ensure your work sessions are focused by setting a timer, employing techniques like the Pomodoro Technique—dedicating 25-minute intervals to work followed by a 5-minute break. This keeps you concentrated and boosts productivity, guarding against burnout. Timers can play an important role in project management.
2. Meeting management
You can efficiently structure your day by allocating specific time slots for meetings and using timers to keep discussions on track. This method prevents meetings from stretching beyond their scheduled duration.
3. Time blocking
While Notion reminders is a super-useful feature for reminding when to start a task, you need to set up a timer widget to implement time-blocking. This way you can assign dedicated periods for various activities.
4. Study sessions
Notion is a popular note-taking tool but its features for students are much more diverse. Timers are another useful addition. They allow you to break down your study sessions into manageable portions. For example, you can set a timer for a concentrated study period, followed by a short break. This approach enhances your learning efficiency by balancing intense study with periodic rests, preventing burnout.
5. Brainstorming wessions
Notion offers a host of features to enable team collaboration like commenting and tagging. You can take this up a notch by using timers. Notion timers can help you allocate specific timeframes for brainstorming ideas. Setting a timer cultivates creativity by encouraging a focused, time-bound approach, curbing overthinking and fostering a more structured brainstorming process.
6. Content creation
Timers are quite useful for those who use Notion for content planning. You can use them to efficiently manage content creation by allocating dedicated time, whether it's writing a blog in Notion or designing graphics. Strategically use timers to balance the creation process with editing, ensuring a productive and well-managed workflow for your content development.
FAQs
Can you put a timer in Notion?
You can easily insert a timer into your page by using the Notion embed block. Just copy the embed code of the widget, paste it into the block, and click on the “Embed link” button.
How do you add a study timer in Notion?
The first step is to find the right study timer widget for your page and customize it to match its color with the tone of your page. Next, copy the embed code of the widget and paste it into the embed block in Notion. That’s it, with these simple steps you can insert a study timer into Notion.
