Focus session · design work · 90 min
Deep work timer: 90 minutes of design work (rain on a window), after eating too much
One block of design work with rain on a window underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Rest your hands somewhere they don't have to do anything. Do this sitting up, not lying down, if you have just eaten. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
- Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
2 While the timer runs
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
- If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
3 When it ends
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
4What to put on
rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.
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