Deep work timer: 90 minutes of admin and email (a stream), if you are tired of apps

1 Before you start

• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.

2 While the timer runs

• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.

3 When it ends

• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.

4What to put on

a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.