Focus session · problem solving · 90 min
Deep work timer: 90 minutes of problem solving (distant thunder), when you want to finish something
One block of problem solving with distant thunder 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.
If your legs are crossed, uncross them. Small changes count. Wanting to finish something is a better motivation than wanting to relax. We'll go through it in order, without much decoration.
1 Before you start
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
- Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
2 While the timer runs
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
- When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
3 When it ends
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
- Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
4What to put on
distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.