A 50-minute block for applications and forms, with brown noise, when you want to finish something

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.

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.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.

3 When it ends

• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

brown noise — Lower and softer than white noise, closer to a waterfall heard from a distance. Good if white noise feels too hissy.