50-minute practising an instrument session with white noise and a timer, if you are sceptical about all of this

1 Before you start

• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.

2 While the timer runs

• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.

3 When it ends

• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

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.