Focus session for studying: 50 minutes, birds at dawn, when you are too tired to try hard

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.

2 While the timer runs

• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.