25-minute focus block for design work — plain quiet, when you are on your own

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

4What to put on

plain quiet — No added sound at all. If you have a quiet room, that is usually better than any recording of one.