Focus session · practising an instrument · 25 min
25-minute focus session for practising an instrument with brown noise, when you have tried everything else
25 minutes on practising an instrument — slowly, with the metronome. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Let the first out-breath be longer than the in-breath. Nothing dramatic, just longer. This assumes you have already tried the obvious things. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
- If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
2 While the timer runs
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
3 When it ends
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
4What to put on
brown noise — Lower and softer than white noise, closer to a waterfall heard from a distance. Good if white noise feels too hissy.
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