Focus session · thesis writing · 25 min
25-minute focus session for thesis writing with a stream, when you have been putting it off
25 minutes on thesis writing — sections, not the whole thing. 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.
Take one breath that is slightly slower than the last one. That is enough to start. You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters. No preamble. We start with the body.
1 Before you start
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
- Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
- Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
2 While the timer runs
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
3 When it ends
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
4What to put on
a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.
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