Focus session · brainstorming · 45 min
45-minute focus session for brainstorming with a stream, when you are waiting for something
45 minutes on brainstorming — quantity before quality. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Start with the noise that is already in the room. We are not going to try to remove it yet. Waiting is dead time you can spend on this instead. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
- 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.
- Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
2 While the timer runs
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
3 When it ends
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
- Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
4What to put on
a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.
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