Focus session · writing · 90 min
Deep work timer: 90 minutes of writing (a fan or air conditioner), when you are somewhere unfamiliar
One block of writing with a fan or air conditioner 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.
Find one place in your body that already feels fine. Use that as the starting point. It travels well. Hotels, spare rooms, other people’s sofas. This is a short one, so let's use the time properly.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
- Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
3 When it ends
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
4What to put on
a fan or air conditioner — A constant mechanical hum with no variation. The lack of change is the point — nothing in it asks for your attention.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.