Focus session · thesis writing · 90 min
Deep work timer: 90 minutes of thesis writing (vinyl crackle), after eating too much
One block of thesis writing with vinyl crackle 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.
Loosen your grip on whatever you're holding, or imagine loosening it. 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
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
- Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
2 While the timer runs
- If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
3 When it ends
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
4What to put on
vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.
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