Trick to get in track when the mind is drifting

I sometimes do something I call "wearing the problem solver hat" in which during just one pomodoro I try to improve something or find a solution for a problem I usually face. I choose the topic randomly from a pool of note cards. I guess this is something quite interesting to explain another day. I just wanted to explain it briefly because I wanted to show this:

This is what I did when trying to improve on what to do when I get stuck or blocked during my day and stop flowing or being productive or motivated. I have this map attached to the wall next to me and I can move all those elements (that are cut out in card with some sticky tape behind them). So it is some kind of "alarm system" because if I am drifting in my day and I see this, and I think I can change the position of the objects, then it may mean that my mind is wandering and not focused.

Once the map has helped me to realize I am out of flow/unfocused then I follow some instructions I have written in a piece of paper hidden behind the map. Usually when following the steps I am able to break the state and I have the opportunity to get in track again. Roughly the steps are:

1. Keep calm and be ok with stopping for some minutes.
2. Do somethin simple that you know makes you feel better or more comfortable (ie, strech out, play some background music, eat a snack).
3. In your mind, go a step back and try to get a general perspective of the actual situation. That is, the present moment and space and their relation of where it is "contained": Hour-> day-> week; Computer-> room-> house.
4. Proceed with the "Ideas washing tunnel" technique. Something I made out wich I can explain better in another moment. Briefly, it helps to visualise and analyse the thoughts sticking in your head (chores, responsabilities, etc.)

That's the theory!

The reality is that this is not working as expected. The note card with this topic is still inside the box that I use to randomly choose the topic. That implies it can be improved further. These are some things that are not work quite well here:

• The map is located slightly behind me, so it doesn't catch my attention when my mind is wandering around.
• The map has other implications more than being a "toy" that captures my attention, and it doesn't success in making me wanna play with it in a casual way.
• The instructions usually ask me to do too much and review all the posible blocks I have in that given moment. I have found that I don't usually finish the whole process.
• The "Ideas washing tunnel" method relies too much on my current state. I already knew that, this is why there are some steps before, but it looks that the previous steps doesn't help to get into the optimun state as expected.

At some point or when I find this topic again when wearing the problem solver hat I will improve this a little more.