A 45-minute block for research, with a train carriage, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.

2 While the timer runs

• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.

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.