A 90-minute block for studying, with distant thunder, when you have tried everything else

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

4What to put on

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