Whistle While You Work

ben's rules of making drudgery bearable:

1. work 45, take 5-15.  Personally I can only go through three hours of this before I need at least a 15 minute, if not 30 minute break, or switching subjects/projects.  hold yourself to this.  ONLY reward yourself with a 5-15 min break if you stayed focused and on task the whole 45.

2. breaks should not involve the same medium as the work: if the 45 was working outside, go inside, and vice versa.  if the 45 was spent looking at a computer, sitting in a chair, get up and walk around, and go look at something that's not on a computer screen for your break.

3. as often as possible, make it a game: if i can get X done in this 45, let's see if i can get Y done in this 45. if i can get X done in this 45 I'll buy myself a pastry with my coffee, if not, only the coffee

4. STOP at the 45!  this can be hard, because maybe you're right in the middle of something, but stopping when you're supposed to (within reason), will keep you in a better mood, and better organized.

5. As often as you can, eliminate distractions and listen to music that helps you concentrate (unless this is a contradiction for you).  either way, figure out what works best for you and stick to it.