Twenty-five minutes on, five minutes off
The Pomodoro Technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student. The rules are simple: pick one task, work on it for 25 minutes without interruptions, then take a short break of about 5 minutes. After four of these rounds, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
This page is already set up for it. Repeat is on and Break between rounds is set to 5 minutes, so after you press Start the timer runs round, break, round, break on its own: one alarm at the end of each, and the status line shows Round 2, Round 3 or Break. Every round and break is timed from the exact end of the one before, so the rhythm doesn’t slip, even with the tab in the background.
The long break
Cirillo’s long break comes after the fourth round. When you are in round 4, open Display and sound and change the break to 15, 20 or 30 minutes; the next break uses the new length. Afterwards set it back to 5 minutes, or press Pause and start again when you are back at your desk.
Making it work for you
- One task per round. Write down the task before you press Start, or type it in the label box so it shows above the ring.
- Protect the round. If something comes up, note it and deal with it in the break. If you have to stop, press Pause, and Resume when you are back.
- Other rhythms. Longer blocks such as 50 minutes with a 10-minute break suit deep work: type 50 in the minutes box and pick a 10-minute break.
- Quiet alarms. The Chime or Gentle sound is easier to hear eight times a day than the beep. Press M to mute a round without stopping the cycle.
Keeping it on screen
On a computer the timer keeps going in a background tab, and the tab title shows Break or the time left. Tick Notify me for a system notification when a round or a break ends. Phones may pause pages in the background, so keep the timer on screen there; it keeps the screen awake while it runs. For a single short break, use the 5 minute timer.