Deep work timer: 45 minutes of language practice (birds at dawn), after a long day

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.