Deep work timer: 50 minutes of exam revision (a fan or air conditioner), when you have woken up too early

1 Before you start

• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.

2 While the timer runs

• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

4What to put on

a fan or air conditioner — A constant mechanical hum with no variation. The lack of change is the point — nothing in it asks for your attention.