Write for three minutes after charged interactions before…
After emotionally charged interactions—difficult conversations, stressful emails, frustrating exchanges—take three minutes to write what happened, what you felt, and what (if anything) needs to happen next before switching to analytical work.
When This Fires
- After a difficult 1:1 with a manager or direct report
- After reading an email that triggered frustration or anxiety
- After a heated debate in a meeting or code review
- Before switching from any emotionally charged interaction to analytical work
Common Failure Mode
Telling yourself "I'm fine, I can just move on" and switching immediately to deep work. The emotion doesn't disappear because you ignored it — it fragments into attention residue that degrades your next 30-60 minutes of cognitive work. You sit down to code and find yourself unable to concentrate, replaying the conversation, composing responses in your head. The three minutes you "saved" costs you thirty in degraded focus.
The Protocol
After any emotionally charged interaction, before switching tasks: (1) Set a 3-minute timer. (2) Write three things — what happened (just the facts), what you felt (name the emotion), what needs to happen next (specific action or "nothing — this is closed"). (3) Close the document. (4) Take three breaths. (5) Begin the next task. The writing externalizes the loop; the timer prevents it from becoming an extended processing session.