Deep work timer: 50 minutes of thesis writing (a train carriage), when you are short on time

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.