Deep work timer: 90 minutes of brainstorming (a train carriage), when you have tried everything else

1 Before you start

• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.

2 While the timer runs

• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.

3 When it ends

• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.

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.