A 50-minute block for practising an instrument, with café murmur, if you are fitting this around other people

1 Before you start

• Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• 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.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

café murmur — The blur of other people talking, with none of the words close enough to follow. Some people concentrate better with a low level of company.