One tool I use is the Focus Keeper app. Based on Pomodoro, you work for a short time, then take a shorter break. After the 4th session, you take a longer break. I have mine set at 15 mins work, 5 min break, & my longer break is 25 mins. I am not allowed to work during my long break because if I do, I get into hyper focus & forget to take breaks.
Breaking a large project into smaller parts to do each daily helps me. If I get interrupted, I do double the next day. This works for whole house cleaning, yard work, and sewing a large project like drapes. For my novel, I spend two hours a day. I leave spelling and punctuation corrections to the next day. I start with corrections and can then continue writing. It took me 60 years to figure it out.
There are many complex ideas and formulas out there to help with this. I have found most to be not helpful.
Gil Fronsdal, a very grounded mindfulness teacher based at the Insight Meditation Center in California, has a much more simple and--in my mind--helpful approach. He recommends two 20 minute periods of meditation a day. One sometime in the morning and one sometime in the afternoon or evening. Gil is pragmatic rather than a purist. Guided meditations are okay if they are helpful. Sitting with Quakers is also okay.
There are plenty of sources of guided meditations today. The Insight Meditation app (originally just a timer) has plenty. I prefer the AudioDharma app from the Insight Center. Pick a topic, put on the headphones and listen. There is a YouTube channel with a daily 30 minute sitting and a 15 minute talk. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq_lRuaNj50OrG4-HmJsRKp94HyKdKWEO&si=b__2ktdXXmIieCj3.
One tool I use is the Focus Keeper app. Based on Pomodoro, you work for a short time, then take a shorter break. After the 4th session, you take a longer break. I have mine set at 15 mins work, 5 min break, & my longer break is 25 mins. I am not allowed to work during my long break because if I do, I get into hyper focus & forget to take breaks.
Breaking a large project into smaller parts to do each daily helps me. If I get interrupted, I do double the next day. This works for whole house cleaning, yard work, and sewing a large project like drapes. For my novel, I spend two hours a day. I leave spelling and punctuation corrections to the next day. I start with corrections and can then continue writing. It took me 60 years to figure it out.
There are many complex ideas and formulas out there to help with this. I have found most to be not helpful.
Gil Fronsdal, a very grounded mindfulness teacher based at the Insight Meditation Center in California, has a much more simple and--in my mind--helpful approach. He recommends two 20 minute periods of meditation a day. One sometime in the morning and one sometime in the afternoon or evening. Gil is pragmatic rather than a purist. Guided meditations are okay if they are helpful. Sitting with Quakers is also okay.
There are plenty of sources of guided meditations today. The Insight Meditation app (originally just a timer) has plenty. I prefer the AudioDharma app from the Insight Center. Pick a topic, put on the headphones and listen. There is a YouTube channel with a daily 30 minute sitting and a 15 minute talk. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq_lRuaNj50OrG4-HmJsRKp94HyKdKWEO&si=b__2ktdXXmIieCj3.
If I stay still that long, I fall asleep. I know it works for others.