Pomodoro Timer: let’s get stuff done

Q: How long is a pomodoro?

A traditional pomodoro is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break—repeated 4 times before a longer 15-minute break. There isn’t a single best ratio. The classic 25/5/15 model is a great foundation, and you can experiment based on your task complexity and natural rhythm: • 20/4: quick, repetitive tasks needing short focus bursts • 25/5: balanced focus with regular and longer breaks • 30/6: slightly longer focus without burnout • 50/10: medium-complexity tasks needing extended concentration • 90/15: complex tasks requiring longer focus • 120/20: deep work with longer recharge breaks Adjust durations in Settings until your sessions align with your natural focus cycles and team workflow.

Q: Does the Pomodoro Technique work for teams?

Yes. When adapted thoughtfully, the Pomodoro Technique helps teams stay aligned, focused, and energized. It’s less about everyone timing sessions identically and more about building shared rhythms of deep focus and recovery: • Focus culture: fewer interruptions, more done with less stress • Morale initiative: reduce burnout by protecting focus time • Collaboration & focus hours: align meetings to core hours • Maintain flexibility: let teammates tailor pomodoros to their workflow • Sprint planning: estimate effort in pomodoros for better forecasting • Motivational challenge: run friendly leaderboards to celebrate progress

Q: How should I spend breaks between pomodoros?

Use short breaks (about 5 minutes) to reset without losing momentum—stretch, walk, hydrate, or breathe. After several cycles, take a longer 15-minute break to recharge before your next work block.

Q: How can students use the Pomodoro Technique for studying?

Pomodoros help students study efficiently, avoid burnout, and make steady progress: • Break school tasks into pomodoros (chapter, problem set, flashcards) • Theme your sessions to reduce context switching • Protect more time around midterms & finals by blocking your calendar • Use pomodoros for internship & job applications (targeted resume/cover-letter work) • Highlight it as a developed skill on your resume

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Your free Pomodoro Timer to stay focused and productive

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method built around short, focused work sessions (typically 25 minutes) followed by brief, restorative breaks. Each 25-minute interval is called a pomodoro.

But the classic 25/5 pattern isn’t a rule — it’s a framework. Short focus sessions are powerful for getting started on complex tasks, overcoming procrastination, and heightening focus through urgency. But many people achieve their best flow in longer deep work blocks, where interruptions are minimized and concentration compounds over time.

Here are popular Pomodoro Timer intervals to explore:

25-minute task session, 5-minute break
30-minute task session, 6-minute break
50-minute task session, 10-minute break
1.5-hour task session, 15-minute break
2-hour task session, 20-minute break

Pomodoro Technique benefits

The Pomodoro method helps you stay engaged and productive while you work by breaking your day into manageable chunks of focus and rest.

Here are the key benefits of using a Pomodoro Timer:

Improves focus: Concentration increases in urgent, timed bursts
Boosts motivation: Small wins build momentum and progress
Reduces procrastination: Easier to start tasks and combat decision paralysis
Prevents burnout: Regular breaks keep energy and clarity high
Builds rhythm: Create sustainable cycles of focus and rest
Minimizes distractions: Helps you lock in and resist interruptions
Supports deep work: Strengthens concentration for longer flow states

How to use the Pomodoro Timer

Getting started is as simple as clicking the start button. Use the Pomodoro Timer above to plan your day, stay focused, and track progress one pomodoro at a time. Here’s how to get the most out of the timer:

Add your tasks for today.
Start your 25-minute timer and jump into your task work.
Take a 5-minute break when your alarm sounds.
Repeat the process 3-5 times, then take a long 15-minute break.
Check off your tasks along the way!

You can also set custom intervals through the settings icon on the top to design your ideal pomodoro rhythm. Here are some popular alternative intervals that support longer deep work sessions:

30-minute pomodoro session, 6-minute break
50-minute pomodoro session, 10-minute break
1.5-hour pomodoro session, 15-minute break
2-hour pomodoro session, 20-minute break

Timer features & customizable settings

Explore your Pomodoro Timer features and productivity report metrics:

Task list: Create tasks and check them off your list
Tab countdown: See your remaining time right from your browser tab
Reset: Restart your Pomodoro anytime if you get off track
Pomodoro tracking: See Pomodoros completed today, this week, and this month
Streaks: Track how many days in a row you’ve rocked your pomodoros

You can also track your productivity through advanced metrics reporting by clicking the analytics icon in the top right. Here are the metrics the Pomodoro Timer automatically captures:

Pomodoros today: Track pomodoros completed today
Pomodoros this week: Track pomodoros completed this week
Pomodoros this month: Track pomodoros completed this month
Pomodoro time today: Total hours you’ve spent in pomodoros
Average pomodoro time/day: Averaged over the last 30 days
Task completed today: Number of tasks you’ve checked off
Focus hours time graph: Analyze pomodoro time across days, weeks, and months
Pomodoro day streak: Number of days in a row you’ve run a pomodoro
Average pomodoros/day: Averaged over the last 30 days
Average pomodoro length: Average duration of your pomodoro focus sessions
Pomodoro completion rate: Percent of pomodoros completed in the last 30 days
Breaks today: Number of breaks after pomodoros
Break time today: Total minutes you’ve spent in breaks after pomodoros

Here are some of the advanced Pomodoro Timer settings you can customize:

Pomodoro Timer intervals: Set custom work and break time lengths
Auto-start: Automatically start your next session, no clicks required
Alarm sound: Pick a sound that’s right for your mood
Music: Add focus-friendly background music to enhance your creativity
Mini window: Open a mini window to increase visibility to your remaining time

Pomodoro Technique best practice tips

Want to get the most out of your pomodoro sessions? Here are some tips to help you stay consistent, focused, and energized throughout your 25-minute timer:

Minimize Interruptions: Automatically sync your Slack status to your calendar through Reclaim and enable DND so teammates know you’re in focus mode and shouldn’t be interrupted.
Block your calendar: Auto-schedule focus time through Reclaim to protect space for your pomodoros, and prevent meetings from interrupting your sessions.
One task at a time: Avoid multitasking, and focus on one task per pomodoro. Break big tasks into smaller sessions for steady, focused progress.
Plan breaks Intentionally: Step away during short breaks. After four Pomodoros, use your long break to fully reset with a walk, snack, or screen-free time.
Track your productivity: Check out your Pomodoro Timer report metrics to celebrate your productivity and stay motivated on your amazing progress.

What is Reclaim.ai?

Reclaim.ai is a free AI calendar app that automatically protects more space in your workweek for you to thrive. Simply connect your calendar (Google & Outlook), and use AI to protect focus time in your schedule, optimize your meetings, auto-schedule breaks, and analyze your productivity.

If you want to defend more time for your pomodoros, create a free account to set up your focus time, and drop this Pomodoro Timer link in the description so you can maximize the amount and quality of pomodoros you can achieve every week.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. As a university student, he used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to structure his study sessions. The term “pomodoro” means tomato in Italian. Today, it’s one of the most widely used time-management systems among professionals, knowledge workers, and students.

How long is a pomodoro?

A traditional pomodoro is 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break — repeated 4 times before taking a longer 15-minute break. But there’s no single best ratio. The classic 25/5/15 model is a great foundation, and you can experiment based on your task complexity and natural rhythm:

20/4: For quick, repetitive tasks needing short focus bursts.
25/5: Balanced focus with regular and longer breaks.
30/6: Slightly longer focus without burnout.
50/10: Medium complexity tasks needing extended concentration.
90/15: Complex tasks requiring longer focus.
120/20: Deep work with longer recharge breaks.

Adjust durations in your settings until your sessions align with your natural focus cycles and team workflow.

Does the Pomodoro Technique work for teams?

Absolutely — when adapted thoughtfully, the Pomodoro Technique can help teams stay aligned, focused, and energized together. It’s less about everyone timing identically, and more about building shared rhythms of deep focus and recovery.

Focus culture: When everyone values focus time and avoids interrupting, the whole team gets more done with less stress.
Morale initiative: Lack of focus time is a top driver of burnout — a Pomodoro initiative can reduce turnover and increase happiness.
Collaboration & focus hours: Align meetings to core hours so everyone gets more space for focused pomodoros.
Maintain flexibility: Rigid rules can hurt productivity — let teammates tailor their pomodoros to their workflow.
Sprint planning: Estimate effort in pomodoros to forecast timelines more accurately.
Motivational challenge: Run a monthly pomodoro challenge with a lightweight leaderboard to celebrate progress.

How should I spend breaks between pomodoros?

Use short breaks (around 5 minutes) to reset without losing momentum — stretch, walk, hydrate, or breathe. After several cycles, take a longer 15-minute break to recharge before your next work block.

How many pomodoros should I aim for in a day?

For most people, 8–12 pomodoros per day is a sustainable target using the 25/5/15 model. On days filled with meetings, even 4–6 high-quality sessions can make a noticeable difference. Track your daily and weekly totals in the top stats to monitor consistency and workload.

How can students use the Pomodoro Technique for studying?

Studying doesn’t have to mean cramming or burning out. With pomodoros, you can study efficiently, stay focused, and still have time to breathe:

Break school tasks into pomodoros: Assign one pomodoro to specific goals like a chapter, set of problems, or flashcards.
Theme your sessions: Group similar tasks or one subject to reduce context switching.
Protect time around midterms & finals: Block extra pomodoro time on your calendar 1–2 weeks before exams.
Use pomodoros for internship & job applications: A 25-minute pomodoro is perfect for targeted resume/cover-letter work.
Highlight it as a developed skill: Many hiring managers value strong focus habits — mention your practice on your resume.

The Pomodoro® Technique (created by Francesco Cirillo) is a brilliant time management method that’s helped over 2 million people improve their productivity. We’re huge fans of Francesco’s work and encourage everyone to explore his site to learn more. Reclaim.ai isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by the Pomodoro® Technique or its creator, and this timer is not a feature of the Reclaim.ai app. Pomodoro® is a registered trademarks of Francesco Cirillo.

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