Focus session · design work · 25 min

A 25-minute block for design work, with a washing machine, when you are at home and cannot settle

A single 25-minute block for design work — rough versions first.

25:00

Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.

If your legs are crossed, uncross them. Small changes count. Being at home and unable to settle is a very specific problem. Keep it simple: breath in, breath out, notice.

1 Before you start

  • Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
  • Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
  • Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
  • Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
  • Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.

2 While the timer runs

  • When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
  • If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
  • If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
  • Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.

3 When it ends

  • Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
  • Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
  • Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

a washing machine — Domestic, mechanical, and oddly steadying. The sound of something else being dealt with.

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.