90-minute coding session with distant traffic and a timer, when you have more time than usual

1 Before you start

• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.

2 While the timer runs

• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• 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.

3 When it ends

• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.