25-minute focus block for decluttering — distant traffic, when you feel restless rather than tired

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.

2 While the timer runs

• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.