Focus session · practising an instrument · 45 min
Deep work timer: 45 minutes of practising an instrument (brown noise), if you are doing this in the middle of the day
One block of practising an instrument with brown noise underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Let your forehead smooth out. Most of us hold a small frown there all day. Midday is an underrated time for this. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
3 When it ends
- Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
4What to put on
brown noise — Lower and softer than white noise, closer to a waterfall heard from a distance. Good if white noise feels too hissy.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.