Deep work timer: 90 minutes of studying (white noise), when you are waiting for something

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.

2 While the timer runs

• 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.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

4What to put on

white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.