90-minute focus session for exam revision with white noise, when the day has been loud

1 Before you start

• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• 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.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.

3 When it ends

• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.

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.