25-minute coding session with vinyl crackle and a timer, when you have been putting it off

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.

4What to put on

vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.