Pomodoro Timer

How this calculation works

Twenty-five minutes of focus, five minutes of break, and a longer break after every fourth block — the structure of the technique, with each length adjustable. Phases advance automatically and each is timed against the clock rather than by counting ticks, so a busy machine or a backgrounded tab cannot stretch a block. The long break after four is not decoration: the whole claim of the method is that the breaks are what make sustained concentration repeatable, which is also why they are the part people skip first.

What the results mean

Focus block

One uninterrupted working interval, traditionally 25 minutes. Shorter is fine; the point is that it is a fixed, unbroken unit.

Short break

Five minutes between blocks. Long enough to leave the task, short enough not to lose it.

Long break

After every fourth focus block. Fifteen to thirty minutes — the recovery the shorter breaks do not provide.

Completed blocks

Counted within this session only. Nothing is stored, so closing the page resets it.

Common problems and fixes

I keep getting interrupted mid-block

The traditional answer is to note the interruption and continue rather than restart, on the grounds that a block interrupted once is worth more than a block abandoned.

25 minutes feels too short

Lengthen it. The interval is the least important part of the method — the fixed boundary and the enforced break are what do the work.

I skip the breaks

Then it is just a timer. The claim being made is specifically about alternating, and skipping breaks is the reported reason most people stop finding it useful.

Frequently asked questions

More in Time

• Countdown TimerA countdown that stays accurate when the tab is in the background.
• Date Difference CalculatorDays, weeks, months and weekdays between two dates — counted the way people mean.