A 25-minute block for exam revision, with birds at dawn, on a low-energy afternoon

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.