Focus session for exam revision: 45 minutes, white noise, when you have already had a long week

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• 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.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

4What to put on

white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.