A 50-minute block for problem solving, with distant thunder, when you are at home and cannot settle

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

4What to put on

distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.