Focus session · studying · 45 min
Deep work timer: 45 minutes of studying (distant traffic), on a day that started badly
One block of studying with distant traffic 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.
Notice whether you're leaning forward. Most people are, slightly, all day. A day that started badly does not have to stay that way. Keep it simple: breath in, breath out, notice.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- 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.
- Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
2 While the timer runs
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
3 When it ends
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
4What to put on
distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.