50-minute focus block for problem solving — a train carriage, when you have already had a long week

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.

3 When it ends

• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.