Deep work timer: 50 minutes of drawing (distant thunder), before something difficult

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.

3 When it ends

• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.

4What to put on

distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.