The "10-Minute Rule" : A Mental Strategy for Runners and Life

 Kia Ora koutou,

This is Hiro.
Today, I’d like to talk about how to deal with those days when you just "don’t feel like going for a run".

“We all have days when our motivation drops. But what can we do about it?”

When exercise is a part of your life, there will be days when you don’t feel like training.
On those days, you might try to reframe your mindset and push yourself to stick to the schedule. But just imagining the session, we can feel stressful.

Your mind has to “fight” the imagined stress of the workout before it even begins.
It becomes a tough mental game. Sometimes, we lose that battle to our imagination, which is one of the biggest obstacles in our minds.

Mental Tips for Low-Motivation Days

I’d like to share a few tips for overcoming the mental barriers you face on days when you don’t feel like running.
These tips can also be applied to any daily task where you’re struggling with motivation.
My hope is that they help you better manage your mental stress and self-expectations.

 

How do you move first?

The First Battle: Determined Purpose vs How You Feel Now

Let’s start by asking: Why do you train?
Some examples might be:

• To beat a certain competitor
• To win a specific race
• To finish this year’s marathon
• To boost mental and physical health

Everyone has their own reasons and motivations that drive their training.

But no matter how passionate you are, there will still be days when thoughts like these creep in:

• “Ugh… I just don’t want to train today.”
• “This workout looks too hard.”
• “I don’t think I can hit that pace.”

These negative thoughts try to pull you away from your training goals. So your mind is caught in a battle between your determined purpose and how you feel now. There is a common inner conflict.

Most people respond in one of two ways:

1. Skip the session entirely → "How you feel now" wins the battle
2. Push through it with sheer willpower → "Determined purpose" wins

If you choose Option 1, you might later regret skipping the session or feel disappointed in yourself.
If you choose Option 2, it can drain your energy, as forcing yourself through mental resistance creates psychological stress.

Either way, both choices can leave you exhausted mentally and emotionally, either before or after the session.

 

 

An Idea for Both: The “10-Minute Rule”

To avoid this inner conflict, I suggest a third option. That is the “10-minute rule.”

Instead of aiming to complete the whole session, simply think, “I’ll just go out and run for 10 minutes. Then I will decide.” This approach acts as a peacemaker between purpose and emotion. There is no winner or loser in your mind, just a compromised idea for both.

This low-pressure goal contains two powerful strategies:

•  It minimises or reduces mental pressure
•  It allows your motivation to grow naturally, like a snowball rolling downhill

Just follow the steps below, and you will feel good in your training without any mental barriers.

 

 

Step 1: Put on Your Running Gear

To run for 10 minutes, all you have to do is change into your running clothes and tie your shoes.
For many runners, this simple act triggers positive memories and mental readiness. Your body remembers how good it feels after a run. This isn’t a conscious decision. It’s a physiological response based on your past experiences.

 

Step 2: Go for a Run, “Just 10 Minutes”

Once you start running, even for a short goal like “just 10 minutes,” your body releases adrenaline and dopamine, hormones that boost mood and focus. The imagined stress begins to fade.

After 10 minutes, you may think, “Maybe I want to go for another 10.”
Then another 10… and before you know it, you’ve completed your session.

 

Look at the shoes, and put your favorite on! 

Even small rituals, like wearing your favourite shoes, can spark motivation.

 

Apply the Same Mindset to Tough Workouts

This method also works for intense sessions, like 10 x 1km intervals, which can feel overwhelming when training alone. Telling yourself, “I must finish all 10 reps!” can cause a lot of mental pressure. If you fall short, it may lead to guilt or frustration.

Tough workouts demand a strong mindset and huge energy for your mental. Because even if you win the mental battle before the workout, you may already be mentally exhausted by the time you start. Sometimes we do not fully win, and we start with lingering nervousness or anxiety.

Instead, apply the small goal rules to your workouts, too. If you have a 10x1km session today, you can think, “Let’s just try 1 or 2 reps and see how I feel.”

Often, 1 rep becomes 2. 2 reps become 3. By the time you hit 4. You will be thinking, “Maybe I can get to 6.”
Eventually, you may complete all 10. You will feel satisfied, with a sense of self-efficacy and motivation rather than stress or guilt. 

 

Small Goals Activate the Mind and Body

Low-pressure goals help you:

• Get both your body and mind moving
• Assess how you’re feeling without added pressure
• Reduce the pressure to "Achieve" now

On low-motivation days, move first, think later, and keep the bar low to get started.

Here’s a sample checklist for your own rule:

-          Put on running clothes

-          Put on your running shoes

-          Set a small and easy goal: “Run for 10 minutes” / “Run for 1 rep”

-          Reflect and decide what’s next: “How do you feel now?”

 

"Just one rep" will take you to the next .

 

What If You Still Don’t Feel It?

That’s okay too. Sometimes, even after starting, you still don’t feel good. That’s a message worth listening to your body.

It could be:

• Your body is fatigued from recent hard sessions
• You feel pain or discomfort even after warming up
• Your effort and performance feel totally disconnected

In these cases, what you thought was mental stress is actually physical stress underneath.

That’s a sign to recover. Instead of pushing through:

Take a rest day / Get a massage / Eat a nourishing meal / Stretch while listening to music / Go to bed early and recover…

The 10-minute rule is also a way to check in with your body.

 

Build Your Own “Small Goal Rule System”

Today, we explored how to handle days when you don’t feel like running by applying the 10-minute rule. This isn’t just for running. It can be applied to any daily tasks.

For example,

• Want to clean the kitchen but feel lazy? Try the “1 Plate Rule”

ð  “I’ll just wash one plate.” Chances are, you’ll keep going.

• Want to read a book but feel distracted? Try the “1 Page Rule”

ð  “I’ll just read one page.” Next thing you know, you’ve read five.

 

When motivation is low, start tiny. Let your body and mind warm up. If they respond great, keep going. If they don’t, it’s a signal to rest and recharge. Take it easy, rest well, and gather energy for tomorrow. 

Even small steps move you forward. Start small, stay kind to yourself, and trust that momentum will build.