The StrongLifts 5x5 app I use has a timer between sets, I do my set then sit and scroll and then it dings at me to do the next.

Lather rinse repeat until I’m done, it takes no time at all and I still get plenty of scrolling in lol

Treat the rest as a dedicated, specifically-timed "thing to do" instead of just "time I need to kill until I pick this weight up again."

Timers are helpful, as people mentioned, but stretching, evaluating how that last set went/ how next set needs to go, changing weights, and walking around to catch your breath are great ways to stay mostly on track.

And if you check Twitter after switching songs or something? That's fine. Working out slowly > not working out, so unless you're annoying other gymgoers with 20-min squat-rack scroll sessions , I wouldn't sweat a mental lapse.

EDIT: Ope, I think I misread your comment to mean "between sets" and not just "going to the gym," my b.

It HAS to be a habit. Go to the gym because it's novel and you want to try it out, then try your damnedest to make it a routine. Make it feel weird to not work out. If you fall off the wagon, try again.

If neurotypicals fail to be consistent (see every New Year's resolution), you can give yourself enough grace to stumble, too.

Don't bring your phone for the first few weeks. There's something physiologically gratifying about lifting heavy.

And your muscles don't really "hurt" during or immediately after completing a set. They are stressed, but you should recover after a few minutes to do your working sets. Eventually, you'll be out of gas and your muscles won't be able to coordinate a lift, but you're sort of going for that. And then a day or two later, if you lifted to too much, you have some muscle soreness. That always sucked for me.

Set a timer? Whether you ignore it or not is another issue, but I was more likely to stick to rest times with a timer than without