When it comes to crunch time, I turn to the The Pomodoro Technique. There is something about setting a 25 minute timer that kicks my butt into gear.
I’ve used various timers for this purpose. Currently, I’m using My Little Pomodoro, a Mac app and I like it. I have it set to change my IM status to busy with a custom message, ‘In the zone’.
OK, my five minute break is up. Got to get back to work!