90-minute focus block for reading — plain quiet, when your attention is scattered

1 Before you start

• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.

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.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

4What to put on

plain quiet — No added sound at all. If you have a quiet room, that is usually better than any recording of one.