Deep work timer: 50 minutes of exam revision (birds at dawn), if you are sceptical about all of this

1 Before you start

• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.

3 When it ends

• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.