Focus session · thesis writing · 90 min

A 90-minute block for thesis writing, with plain quiet, when you have been meaning to start

A single 90-minute block for thesis writing — sections, not the whole thing.

90:00

Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.

Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing. You have been meaning to start. This is the least intimidating way in. No preamble. We start with the body.

1 Before you start

Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.

2 While the timer runs

It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.

3 When it ends

Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
Have a drink of water before you check anything.
Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.

4What to put on

plain quiet — No added sound at all. If you have a quiet room, that is usually better than any recording of one.

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.

If this block does not fit, try 25-minute focus session for practising an instrument with distant thunder, when you want to finish something, 50-minute focus block for admin and email — brown noise, when you only have a few minutes or 50-minute focus session for design work with vinyl crackle, when you have more time than usual.