It can help to have certain sensory triggers to signal to your brain that it's a good time to start deep work, or to get back to a particular project.

SOUNDS AND MUSIC

My husband works best to death metal, I can't listen to anything with lyrics or I start to type the words out into whatever document I'm working on; so experiment a little. Film and TV soundtracks are for when I'm writing fiction, or lo-fi - often one short track on loop - when I need to really focus on boring admin. I also have Spotify playlists for different projects to set the tone and remind me what I'm doing and sometimes listen to cafe sounds rather than music.

Noise cancelling headphones make a big difference to me, and sometimes when it's really noisy I also add in Loop earplugs. Yes, both together.

TASTE

Strong mints, cup of tea, black coffee, water with lemon, chewing gum - if there's a drink or flavour that helps you settle in to your working environment and gives your brain the 'starting' signal, then make it part of your ritual and routine.

Especially the water one, stave off the dehydration headache during hyperfocus sessions. And probably steer clear of the booze, particularly during the morning writing time.

WHAT CAN YOU SEE?

Ugh, this is probably my trickiest one because I know that having a clear desk to come to - both physically and digitally - is so helpful for me. But if things are out of sight, I'm liable to forget them. Hence coming back to a pile of notebooks about my current WIP or project.

I keep a rotating, changeable collection of things that I find pleasing just in my 'gazing' space under my monitor: things I'll see when I get stuck and start staring into the middle distance.

• My nodding black cat - more likely to agree with me than the real cat
• A Winterfold "Wintering" candle, from a retreat with the lovely Katherine May
• A hagstone, found at the retreat in Whitstable
• For now, a tiny (real) pumpkin, to suit the season
• My gorgeous Charlie Russell goddess

If you have a small space to work in, don't have a window, don't have a permanent space - consider having a grounding object you can place beside you to clue your brain in to the fact it's writing time.

TOUCH

This can be just as much about what you're not touching, clearing out any sensory icks around in your working space, especially if you share it with someone else.

A squishmallow to wedge beside you - Junie the "emotional support banana" has been known to pop -up during long body-doubling sessions - or cooling mats to sit on during summer can also work as sensory signals.

SMELL

I love candles but I'm also aware that naked flames aren't necessarily a great idea if I'm likely to go downstairs and forget so my ritual involves either a candle with a phone/watch alarm set to remind me to blow it out, or an electric essential oil diffuser which can be programmed for a set time. Tisserand do fancy blends and winter themed oils, and you can usually find them on offer in TK Maxx.

It's all about convincing your brain that here, and now is the right time to write, and even one sensory trigger in your ritual can really help. If any of these resonate for you, or are the exact description of your worst sensory nightmares, I'd love to hear about that!

As ever, the usual disclaimer applies - YMMV, but with some time and stubbornness we can figure out the right balance for you. Until the novelty wears off, and then we start over again! It's all progress, right?

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