Pomodoro study timer
Twenty-five minutes of work, five minutes off, and a longer break every fourth round. The timer runs in this tab, shows the countdown in the page title, and chimes when a round ends so you can leave it in the background.
How to use the pomodoro study timer
- Adjust the focus and break lengths if the defaults do not suit you.
- Press start and work until the chime.
- Take the break properly — away from the screen — then start the next round.
How it works
The technique comes from Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student. The mechanism is simple: a fixed, short commitment is easier to start than an open-ended one, and knowing a break is coming makes it easier to ignore a distraction rather than follow it.
The breaks are not optional decoration. Sustained attention degrades over time, and the longer rest after four rounds exists to let it recover. The common failure is working through breaks, which turns the method into an ordinary study session with a clock attached.
Common questions
Why 25 minutes?
It is long enough to make progress and short enough that starting feels easy. If it does not suit your work, change it — some people prefer 50 minutes with a 10-minute break.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The countdown also appears in the page title so you can see it from another tab.
What should I do in a break?
Stand up and look away from the screen. Scrolling a feed uses the same attention you are trying to rest.