Deep work timer: 45 minutes of research (brown noise), when the day has been loud

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

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.