90-minute focus session for research with white noise, when you need to stop thinking about work

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.

2 While the timer runs

• 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.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.

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.