Focus session for decluttering: 90 minutes, distant thunder, if you are fitting this around other people

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.

2 While the timer runs

• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.

4What to put on

distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.