90-minute focus block for language practice — distant traffic, after a difficult conversation

1 Before you start

• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• 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 whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

4What to put on

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