50-minute focus session for thesis writing with white noise, when nothing else has worked today

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.

3 When it ends

• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

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.