90-minute writing session with white noise and a timer, before you go back to something hard

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.

3 When it ends

• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

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.