Focus session · design work · 90 min
90-minute focus block for design work — a washing machine, when the house is busy
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to make decisions.
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Take one breath that is slightly slower than the last one. That is enough to start. It works with other people in the house. You do not need silence. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
3 When it ends
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
4What to put on
a washing machine — Domestic, mechanical, and oddly steadying. The sound of something else being dealt with.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.
If this block does not fit, try Deep work timer: 90 minutes of studying (a library), before something difficult, Deep work timer: 25 minutes of planning (a train carriage), when you are waiting for something or 90-minute focus session for portfolio work with brown noise, when you want to finish something.