Flowtime
Work until your focus naturally fades, then take a break proportional to how long you worked.
Helps with: “I lose focus”, “I burn out”
How it works
Pomodoro-style timers can cut you off just as you get absorbed. Flowtime flips it: a timer counts up from when you start. You keep going as long as you’re genuinely focused. When you notice your attention slipping — rereading the same line, reaching for your phone — you stop and note how long you worked.
Then you rest in proportion to the effort. A common rule of thumb is a break of about one-fifth of your work time: 25 minutes of work → a 5-minute break; 50 minutes → 10.
Over a few days, your logged sessions show you how long you can typically focus, which is useful information in itself.
Try it now
- Pick one task and start the Flowtime timer. It counts up.
- Work until you notice your focus fading. Be honest — not until you’re exhausted.
- Press stop. The timer suggests a break of about one-fifth of the time you worked.
- Take that break, then start again.
Try it: focus timer
Flowtime
Reset to change mode.
Focus
25:00
When it does not work
- If you tend to skip breaks entirely once you're absorbed — you may need a fixed timer instead.
- When starting is the problem; an open-ended session gives no small commitment to lean on.
- Tasks where you rarely get absorbed (admin, email); fixed intervals usually suit those better.
Evidence
Evidence: Mostly anecdotalFlowtime is a blog-born variation on Pomodoro with no direct research behind it. It borrows its name from "flow", the state of deep absorption described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which is well studied — but that research doesn't test this particular technique. It's worth trying if fixed timers keep interrupting you at the wrong moment.
Mostly anecdotal: Widely used and may help you, but little or no direct research.