Deep Work Sprint
Clear your desk, then two 25-minute deep-work sprints with a short break between.
4 time blocks, 60 minutes in total.
Time blocks
- Clear your desk: 5 min
Close every tab and app you do not need - Deep work: 25 min
One task only. Phone face down and silent - Break: 5 min
Stand up, look out a window, drink water - Deep work: 25 min
One task only. Phone face down and silent
About this routine
A deep work routine needs less setup than most people think. This one takes 60 minutes: clear the desk, then two 25 minute sprints with a short break between them.
The first 5 minutes close every tab and app you do not need. Doing that deliberately, rather than promising to ignore them, is what makes the sprint hold. Then 25 minutes on one task with the phone face down and silent.
The break is 5 minutes, standing up, looking out a window, drinking water, no screens. Then a second 25 minute block on the same task. Running it against a routine timer means the break ends on time instead of quietly becoming the rest of the morning.
Why this routine works
- Removes distractions before the sprint rather than during it
- Keeps each focus block to a manageable 25 minutes
- Makes the break screen free and time limited
- Keeps both sprints on the same task
FAQ
What is a deep work routine?
A block of uninterrupted work on one task with distractions removed first. This version runs two 25 minute sprints inside 60 minutes.
How long should a deep work session be?
25 minutes per sprint works for most people. Two of them plus the setup and a break fills an hour.
Should you check email during deep work?
No. The 5 minute setup block is there to close everything you do not need, email included, before the first sprint starts.