25-minute portfolio work session with white noise and a timer, when you have more time than usual

1 Before you start

• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.

3 When it ends

• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.

4What to put on

white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.