25-minute focus session for applications and forms with a train carriage, when you have tried everything else

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• 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.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.