Focus session for drawing: 25 minutes, a fireplace, when you are somewhere noisy

1 Before you start

• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.

2 While the timer runs

• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.

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.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

a fireplace — Crackles and a low roar underneath. Warm, irregular, and undemanding.