The Turned Hourglass

You look up and an hour has gone into a screen. Scolding yourself rarely helps. This working is smaller than that: one minute of stillness, then one clear choice about what comes next.

The working

1. The moment you notice, stop. Put the phone or the remote down, out of your hand.
2. Sit back and close your eyes. Let the mind go quiet for a few breaths. If it won’t, just listen to the room.
3. Bring to mind one thing you’d be glad to have done today: a chore, a page of reading, a walk.
4. Picture yourself starting it, calmly and without rushing. Notice which part of you it asks for: steady hands, a clear head, patience.
5. Open your eyes and begin, while the calm is still with you.

Closing

There’s nothing to close. The working ends the moment you start the next thing. If it helps, try it again the next time you catch yourself drifting, and see whether a little less time slips by first.