Focus session · studying · 25 min
A 25-minute block for studying, with a train carriage, when the house is busy
A single 25-minute block for studying — reading and notes, not highlighting.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Your breathing doesn't have to change yet. Let it be whatever size it currently is. It works with other people in the house. You do not need silence. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
- Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
- Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
3 When it ends
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
- 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.
4What to put on
a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.