25-minute focus block for exam revision — a library, when the day has been loud

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.

3 When it ends

• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.

4What to put on

a library — Almost nothing: distant footsteps, a chair, a page turning. Useful if you want the feeling of a room where work is normal.