45-minute focus block for editing — distant traffic, when you have woken up too early

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.

2 While the timer runs

• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.

3 When it ends

• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.