Deep work timer: 25 minutes of reading (a washing machine), when you are not sure this will work

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• 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.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.

3 When it ends

• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• 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.

4What to put on

a washing machine — Domestic, mechanical, and oddly steadying. The sound of something else being dealt with.