Deep work timer: 45 minutes of decluttering (rain on a window), 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.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• 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.

3 When it ends

• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.

4What to put on

rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.