Pomodoro Timer | Focus Sessions & Breaks
Plan focused work with a customizable Pomodoro timer. Set focus and break lengths, track sessions, log distractions, copy daily summaries, export logs, and auto-start breaks.
Sessions
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Focus time
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Distractions
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Goal
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Quick Presets
Task List
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Session Log
Sessions appear here
What Is the Pomodoro Timer?
25 minutes is the sweet spot Francesco Cirillo found in Rome in the late 1980s where most people can maintain genuine focus without needing a break. He named the method after his tomato-shaped kitchen timer — pomodoro is Italian for tomato. Bounded time is psychologically easier to commit to than open-ended time.
But 25 minutes isn't right for everyone. A developer deep in an unfamiliar codebase needs longer to reach productive depth. The Deep Work preset exists for that: 50 minutes of focus, 10-minute breaks.
The session log records every completed session with its task name and timestamp. It gives you a concrete count of focused work units — a more honest productivity metric than "hours at desk," which includes email rabbit holes.
Pomodoro Timer Formula and Method
One full Pomodoro cycle = N focus sessions + (N−1) short breaks + 1 long break.
Classic cycle (N=4): 4 × 25 min focus + 3 × 5 min short breaks + 1 × 15 min long break = 100 min focus + 30 min recovery = 130 min total (2 h 10 min).
Deep Work cycle (N=4): 4 × 50 min + 3 × 10 min + 1 × 25 min = 200 min focus + 55 min recovery = 255 min total (4 h 15 min).
Focus efficiency = total focus time ÷ total session time × 100.
Classic: 100 ÷ 130 = 76.9%.
Deep Work: 200 ÷ 255 = 78.4%.
Daily output = completed sessions × focus duration.
At 8 Classic sessions: 8 × 25 = 200 minutes = 3 h 20 min of focused work tracked.
How to Use
- 1
Type your task name in the Task field before pressing Start. Be specific: "Write introduction" is more useful in your session log than "Writing."
- 2
Select a preset. Classic (25/5/15) is the original Cirillo formula. Deep Work (50/10/25) suits tasks with high setup cost. Writing (30/5/20) fits content creators. Sprint (40/8/20) works in fast delivery environments.
- 3
Press Start. Work without interruption. If a distraction thought surfaces, write it on a notepad and return to the task. The thought isn't lost; the session continues.
- 4
When the focus phase ends, the audio alert fires and the timer moves to the short break. Step away from the screen — stand up, stretch, get water.
- 5
After the configured number of sessions (default 4), the long break triggers. Use it for a genuine mental reset: a walk, a meal, anything offline.
- 6
Check the session log after each session. Each row shows the task name, duration, and timestamp. Count completed sessions at end of day — more honest than total hours.
- 7
Open Settings to adjust durations and Auto-start. Disable Auto-start if you want a moment between phases to update the task name or write a reflection note.
- 8
If interrupted mid-session, press Pause, handle it, and resume. Most practitioners count any session over 20 minutes as valid. What matters is returning to the task.
Pomodoro Timer Example
A developer plans four Classic sessions before lunch. Session 1: "Implement auth middleware" — 25 minutes, done. Short break: walk to kitchen. Session 2: "Write unit tests" — a Slack notification at minute 18, ignored, session completed. Sessions 3–4: "Code review PR #247," task name updated between them. Total: 100 minutes documented, 4 sessions logged.
A student revising economics switches to Deep Work (50/10/25) to match the subject's cognitive load. Three sessions, 10-minute breaks spent on water and stretching — phone left in another room deliberately. After session 3, the 25-minute long break is a walk outside. Total: 150 minutes in 3 sessions tracked.
Understanding Pomodoro
The Science Behind Why Focus Intervals Work
A 2011 study by Ariga and Lleras (Cognition) showed brief mental breaks during a long task prevent attentional habituation — the neural process where repeated stimulation produces a diminishing response.
The same thing happens to your attention during an unbroken work session. A brief diversion resets the habituation clock and restores motivated engagement. Pomodoro breaks are timed to fire before habituation fully sets in.
Which Preset to Use
Classic (25/5) works for tasks with clear deliverables: processing messages, reviewing documents, studying from structured material. The 25-minute window is short enough that starting is easy and long enough to produce real output.
Deep Work (50/10) is right when the task has a high setup cost — understanding an unfamiliar codebase, internalising a theoretical framework, finding a creative voice. The extra 25 minutes honours that setup cost.
Writing (30/5) and Sprint (40/8) sit between the two. Start with Classic for one week before switching — most people find it works better than expected once the habit builds.
Pomodoro for Students: Active vs Passive Study
Each session needs an active objective — not "study Chapter 5" but "answer 20 practice questions from Chapter 5." Active recall during sessions produces stronger memory encoding than passive re-reading, regardless of total study time.
The session log records what was practised in each Pomodoro — far more useful for revision strategy than "studied for 3 hours."
Managing Interruptions
For external interruptions: tell the person you'll come back in a few minutes, write it on a notepad, finish the session. For internal urges (the impulse to check something unrelated), write the thought down and return immediately.
Many urgencies evaporate within 25 minutes when they're not immediately acted on.
Session Logging: Counting What Actually Counts
Most knowledge workers discover their actual focused work time is substantially less than they estimated. Once you see that you average 6 sessions on office days and 9 on home days, you have an objective basis for restructuring your schedule.
Session counts are falsifiable in a way that "hours worked" never is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pomodoro Technique and where did it come from?
Francesco Cirillo developed it in Rome in the late 1980s using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro = tomato). Core finding: bounded time intervals are psychologically easier to commit to than open-ended sessions. Published formally in 2006.
Which preset should I use?
Classic (25/5/15) is the default — start here if you're new or your tasks have clear deliverables. Deep Work (50/10/25) suits complex code, research, or creative work where entering flow takes 10+ minutes. Try Classic for one week before switching.
Should I enable Auto-start between phases?
Auto-start on: strict rhythm, prevents breaks stretching to 20 minutes. Auto-start off: intentional pause to update task names or write a note. Beginners often benefit from Auto-start off — the deliberate transition builds awareness of phase boundaries.
What should I do during breaks?
Short breaks (5–10 min): stand up, stretch, look away from the screen. Phone use is less restorative than movement — it keeps visual processing active. Long breaks: walk, eat, anything offline.
What do I do when interrupted during a Pomodoro?
Defer external requests to break time — write it on a notepad and finish the session. For internal urges, write the thought down and return immediately. Pause only for genuine emergencies. Most practitioners count sessions over 20 min as valid.
Can I change the time without restarting the current session?
Settings changes take effect at the start of the next session, not mid-session. To change the current session: pause, update Settings, reset, start fresh. Completed sessions in the log are unaffected.
How many sessions should I aim for per day?
Most knowledge workers sustain 8–12 Classic sessions (200–300 min of focused work). Beginners typically manage 4–6 in the first week. Eight sessions is a solid daily target — it represents a genuinely productive workday.
Does the Pomodoro timer work without an internet connection?
Yes. Once the page loads, the timer runs entirely in your browser — no network needed. Sessions are stored in localStorage on your device. Export logs before clearing browser data.
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