Deep work timer: 90 minutes of exam revision (distant traffic), when you have already had a long week

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.

2 While the timer runs

• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.

3 When it ends

• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.