Focus session · coding · 50 min
50-minute focus block for coding — white noise, when the day has been loud
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to work through the problem.
50:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Let your next exhale be a sigh, if a sigh is what's waiting there. For days that were loud from the moment they started. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
- Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
3 When it ends
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
- Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
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.
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