Tool

Focus timer

A timed block gives the work a visible end, which makes starting easier. Use the fixed rhythm, or let the break follow the work.

Ready

0 focus blocks done this visit

Settings

Focus (min)Short break (min)Long break (min)Long break every

Play a chime when a phase ends

Fixed or flexible?

The Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest, and a longer break after four blocks) is popular, but the evidence for its fixed rhythm in particular is thin. A 2025 study of 94 students compared fixed Pomodoro breaks, breaks that scale with time worked, and breaks students chose themselves. It found no difference in productivity, task completion or flow, and fatigue rose faster with the fixed intervals (Smits, Wenzel & de Bruin, 2025).

The useful part is having a start and an end. If a fixed rhythm helps you, use it. If it keeps cutting you off mid-thought, switch to flexible mode: stop when you reach a natural pause, and you get a break of about a fifth of the time you worked, between three and fifteen minutes. That ratio is our rule of thumb, not a published one.

Stuck before you even start? Try the task splitter and time only the first step.