Focus session · decluttering · 25 min

Focus session for decluttering: 25 minutes, distant traffic, when you have already had a long week

25 minutes of decluttering, with distant traffic and a note on what to do when you drift.

25:00

Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.

Let your tongue rest down, away from the roof of your mouth. Long weeks are cumulative. This is a small subtraction. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.

1 Before you start

  • 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.
  • Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
  • Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
  • Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.

2 While the timer runs

  • When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
  • If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
  • If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
  • When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

  • Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
  • Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
  • If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

4What to put on

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

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.