[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1131},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-\u002Fflowtime-technique":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":1120,"extension":1121,"headline":1122,"meta":1123,"navigation":1124,"path":1125,"published":1126,"seo":1127,"seoTitle":1128,"stem":1129,"updated":1126,"__hash__":1130},"guides\u002Fflowtime-technique.md","The Flowtime Technique and Flowmodoro: the original rules, and what the research says",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":1095},"minimark",[9,13,16,25,30,44,85,88,178,181,185,220,232,236,239,322,333,342,346,349,370,373,441,444,448,460,546,549,553,556,570,582,596,599,610,613,617,623,629,635,641,645,672,676,692,695,698,717,720,733,737,742,745,749,752,756,759,763,766,770,773,777,780,784,787,791,794,798,831],[10,11,12],"p",{},"The Flowtime Technique is the Pomodoro Technique with the timer taken out of the focus half. You start working, note the time, and stop when you actually need a break, not when a bell says so. Then you rest for a length that fits how long you worked. Flowmodoro is the same idea with one simple rule on top: your break is a fifth of the time you focused.",[10,14,15],{},"This guide covers where both came from (the original posts are more flexible than most summaries), how to run each one with nothing but a clock, and what the few controlled studies on break timing actually found.",[10,17,18,19,24],{},"Disclosure first: this page is published by Kaizen. Kaizen's ",[20,21,23],"a",{"href":22},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Fstopwatch","Stopwatch mode"," counts focus up the way Flowtime does, but it keeps your breaks at a fixed length you set instead of calculating them. Where that falls short of the method, this guide says so.",[26,27,29],"h2",{"id":28},"how-the-flowtime-technique-works","How the Flowtime Technique works",[10,31,32,33],{},"The original method fits on an index card.",[34,35,36],"sup",{},[20,37,43],{"href":38,"ariaDescribedBy":39,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":42},"#user-content-fn-main",[40],"footnote-label","","user-content-fnref-main","1",[45,46,47,55,61,67,73,79],"ol",{},[48,49,50,54],"li",{},[51,52,53],"strong",{},"Pick one task with an end in sight."," Unitasking is the only rule its author calls hard and fast. No switching, no second tab.",[48,56,57,60],{},[51,58,59],{},"Write down the start time."," Do not set a timer for the work.",[48,62,63,66],{},[51,64,65],{},"Work until you need a break."," The signs its author lists: your attention slips, you feel mentally tired, or you get frustrated. If something interrupts you, note the time, tick the interruption column, deal with it, and carry on.",[48,68,69,72],{},[51,70,71],{},"Write down the stop time",", and the minutes you worked.",[48,74,75,78],{},[51,76,77],{},"Take a break that fits the work."," This is the one part that gets a timer.",[48,80,81,84],{},[51,82,83],{},"Repeat",", and look back over the log at the end of the day.",[10,86,87],{},"Here is a morning in the original's columns, with breaks from the main post's table:",[89,90,91,116],"table",{},[92,93,94],"thead",{},[95,96,97,101,104,107,110,113],"tr",{},[98,99,100],"th",{},"Task",[98,102,103],{},"Start",[98,105,106],{},"Stop",[98,108,109],{},"Interrupted",[98,111,112],{},"Work",[98,114,115],{},"Break",[117,118,119,139,159],"tbody",{},[95,120,121,125,128,131,133,136],{},[122,123,124],"td",{},"Outline chapter 3",[122,126,127],{},"9:00",[122,129,130],{},"9:38",[122,132],{},[122,134,135],{},"38 min",[122,137,138],{},"8 min",[95,140,141,144,147,150,153,156],{},[122,142,143],{},"Draft section 3.1",[122,145,146],{},"9:46",[122,148,149],{},"10:58",[122,151,152],{},"Yes",[122,154,155],{},"72 min",[122,157,158],{},"10 min",[95,160,161,164,167,170,172,175],{},[122,162,163],{},"Reply to supervisor",[122,165,166],{},"11:08",[122,168,169],{},"11:20",[122,171],{},[122,173,174],{},"12 min",[122,176,177],{},"5 min",[10,179,180],{},"The log is the underrated half. After a week you know how long you actually focus on different kinds of work, which is the one thing a fixed 25-minute timer never tells you.",[26,182,184],{"id":183},"where-the-flowtime-technique-came-from","Where the Flowtime Technique came from",[10,186,187,188,194,195,203,204,212],{},"The Flowtime Technique was published on Medium on August 17, 2016, under the name Urgent Pigeon, and is widely credited to Zoë Read-Bivens.",[34,189,190],{},[20,191,43],{"href":38,"ariaDescribedBy":192,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":193},[40],"user-content-fnref-main-2"," It was part two of a series called \"Abandoning Pomodoros\"; part one, four days earlier, weighed the pros and cons of the Pomodoro Technique.",[34,196,197],{},[20,198,202],{"href":199,"ariaDescribedBy":200,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":201},"#user-content-fn-part1",[40],"user-content-fnref-part1","2"," Two companion posts went up the same day: a cheat sheet, and a troubleshooting post for people who find themselves never taking breaks.",[34,205,206],{},[20,207,211],{"href":208,"ariaDescribedBy":209,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":210},"#user-content-fn-cheat",[40],"user-content-fnref-cheat","3",[34,213,214],{},[20,215,219],{"href":216,"ariaDescribedBy":217,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":218},"#user-content-fn-trouble",[40],"user-content-fnref-trouble","4",[10,221,222,223,231],{},"The name borrows from flow, the state of full absorption described by the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.",[34,224,225],{},[20,226,230],{"href":227,"ariaDescribedBy":228,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":229},"#user-content-fn-csik",[40],"user-content-fnref-csik","5"," The 2016 posts define flow in one line, \"completely focused and immersed in a task,\" and do not cite him, and no study has shown that the technique produces more flow than a timer does. More on that below.",[26,233,235],{"id":234},"flowtime-break-times-the-two-original-tables","Flowtime break times: the two original tables",[10,237,238],{},"Most Flowtime pages print one break table and present it as the rule. The original author published two, on the same day, and called neither one a rule.",[89,240,241,254],{},[92,242,243],{},[95,244,245,248,251],{},[98,246,247],{},"Work session",[98,249,250],{},"Break, main post",[98,252,253],{},"Break, cheat sheet",[117,255,256,266,275,285,294,303,313],{},[95,257,258,261,263],{},[122,259,260],{},"Up to 25 min",[122,262,177],{},[122,264,265],{},"3 min",[95,267,268,271,273],{},[122,269,270],{},"25 to 40 min",[122,272,138],{},[122,274,177],{},[95,276,277,280,282],{},[122,278,279],{},"40 to 50 min",[122,281,138],{},[122,283,284],{},"7 min",[95,286,287,290,292],{},[122,288,289],{},"50 to 60 min",[122,291,158],{},[122,293,284],{},[95,295,296,299,301],{},[122,297,298],{},"60 to 80 min",[122,300,158],{},[122,302,158],{},[95,304,305,308,310],{},[122,306,307],{},"80 to 90 min",[122,309,158],{},[122,311,312],{},"15 min",[95,314,315,318,320],{},[122,316,317],{},"Over 90 min",[122,319,312],{},[122,321,312],{},[10,323,324,325],{},"The main post says it plainly: \"The break times I suggest aren't rules.\" The cheat sheet closes its version with \"Adjust as needed.\" The table most sites copy is the main post's 5, 8, 10, 15, and it is also the one a 2025 study used, with its two longest brackets merged into 10 minutes for anything over 50.",[34,326,327],{},[20,328,332],{"href":329,"ariaDescribedBy":330,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":331},"#user-content-fn-smits",[40],"user-content-fnref-smits","6",[10,334,335,336],{},"The troubleshooting post is for people who never stop. Its first fix is smaller tasks, so that finishing one becomes your cue to rest. Only if that fails does it offer what it calls the \"strongly not recommended\" option, meant to be temporary until you learn what needing a break feels like: \"Set a timer for the maximum time you want to work without taking a break. I suggest ninety minutes to two hours.\"",[34,337,338],{},[20,339,219],{"href":216,"ariaDescribedBy":340,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":341},[40],"user-content-fnref-trouble-2",[26,343,345],{"id":344},"what-is-flowmodoro-the-divide-by-five-version","What is Flowmodoro? The divide-by-five version",[10,347,348],{},"Flowmodoro keeps the count-up focus and swaps the table for a ratio. Divide the time you focused by five, and that is your break. Work 50 minutes, rest 10. Work two hours, rest 24.",[10,350,351,352,360,361,369],{},"The word does not appear anywhere in the 2016 posts. The name is flow plus Pomodoro, and it comes from study videos: the earliest uses we could find are by Archer Newton, a creator who posted study advice, starting with a #flowmodoro TikTok in February 2021, then YouTube videos later that year, including a Short called \"The Technique BETTER than Pomodoro.\"",[34,353,354],{},[20,355,359],{"href":356,"ariaDescribedBy":357,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":358},"#user-content-fn-newton",[40],"user-content-fnref-newton","7"," A coaching blog for PhD students later wrote the rule up from that Short as \"divide that total time by five - and that's the length of your break.\"",[34,362,363],{},[20,364,368],{"href":365,"ariaDescribedBy":366,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":367},"#user-content-fn-thrive",[40],"user-content-fnref-thrive","8"," Many pages now use Flowtime and Flowmodoro as two names for one thing. They are close relatives, and the core difference is the break: Flowtime sizes it by bracket, Flowmodoro by ratio.",[10,371,372],{},"If you want the Flowmodoro numbers without the arithmetic:",[89,374,375,385],{},[92,376,377],{},[95,378,379,382],{},[98,380,381],{},"You focused for",[98,383,384],{},"Flowmodoro break",[117,386,387,395,403,411,418,425,433],{},[95,388,389,392],{},[122,390,391],{},"20 min",[122,393,394],{},"4 min",[95,396,397,400],{},[122,398,399],{},"30 min",[122,401,402],{},"6 min",[95,404,405,408],{},[122,406,407],{},"45 min",[122,409,410],{},"9 min",[95,412,413,416],{},[122,414,415],{},"60 min",[122,417,174],{},[95,419,420,423],{},[122,421,422],{},"75 min",[122,424,312],{},[95,426,427,430],{},[122,428,429],{},"90 min",[122,431,432],{},"18 min",[95,434,435,438],{},[122,436,437],{},"120 min",[122,439,440],{},"24 min",[10,442,443],{},"A ratio has one quirk the bracket table avoids: very long sessions earn very long breaks. Three hours of focus buys 36 minutes off, which is either exactly right or the start of a lost afternoon.",[26,445,447],{"id":446},"flowtime-vs-pomodoro-vs-flowmodoro","Flowtime vs Pomodoro vs Flowmodoro",[10,449,450,451,459],{},"Francesco Cirillo's Pomodoro Technique sets 25 minutes of work, then a break of 3 to 5 minutes, with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes every four rounds.",[34,452,453],{},[20,454,458],{"href":455,"ariaDescribedBy":456,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":457},"#user-content-fn-cirillo",[40],"user-content-fnref-cirillo","9"," Here is how the three compare.",[89,461,462,477],{},[92,463,464],{},[95,465,466,468,471,474],{},[98,467],{},[98,469,470],{},"Pomodoro",[98,472,473],{},"Flowtime",[98,475,476],{},"Flowmodoro",[117,478,479,492,505,519,533],{},[95,480,481,484,487,490],{},[122,482,483],{},"Focus ends",[122,485,486],{},"When the timer rings, traditionally at 25 min",[122,488,489],{},"When you decide",[122,491,489],{},[95,493,494,496,499,502],{},[122,495,115],{},[122,497,498],{},"3 to 5 min",[122,500,501],{},"By bracket, 3 to 15 min in the originals",[122,503,504],{},"A fifth of your focus",[95,506,507,510,513,516],{},[122,508,509],{},"Longer rest",[122,511,512],{},"A 15 to 30 min break every four rounds",[122,514,515],{},"Longer sessions earn longer breaks",[122,517,518],{},"Grows with every minute",[95,520,521,524,527,530],{},[122,522,523],{},"What you track",[122,525,526],{},"Pomodoros completed and interruptions",[122,528,529],{},"Start, stop, and interruptions",[122,531,532],{},"Minutes focused, a log optional",[95,534,535,538,541,544],{},[122,536,537],{},"Main risk",[122,539,540],{},"A bell mid-thought",[122,542,543],{},"Forgetting to stop",[122,545,543],{},[10,547,548],{},"The short version: the Pomodoro Technique decides for you, which helps on days when starting is the hard part. Flowtime lets you decide, which helps on days when stopping at the wrong moment is the hard part. The research, such as it is, does not crown either one.",[26,550,552],{"id":551},"does-it-work-what-the-research-says","Does it work? What the research says",[10,554,555],{},"Only a few controlled studies compare fixed study breaks with breaks students choose themselves. The three below share a senior author, Anique de Bruin of Maastricht University, and all of them studied university students.",[10,557,558,561,562],{},[51,559,560],{},"Biwer and colleagues, 2023."," 87 students spent a real study day with self-regulated breaks, 24 minutes of study with 6-minute breaks, or 12 minutes with 3-minute breaks. The self-regulators studied and rested in longer stretches, which went with more fatigue and distractedness and less concentration and motivation. The groups did not differ in mental effort or in how much work got done. The authors concluded that fixed breaks \"had mood benefits and appeared to have efficiency benefits,\" meaning the same work in less time.",[34,563,564],{},[20,565,569],{"href":566,"ariaDescribedBy":567,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":568},"#user-content-fn-biwer",[40],"user-content-fnref-biwer","10",[10,571,572,575,576],{},[51,573,574],{},"Smits and colleagues, 2025."," The first study we found that tested Flowtime by name. 94 students worked on their own material for two hours with self-regulated breaks, 25\u002F5 Pomodoros, or Flowtime (5 minutes of break after up to 25 minutes, 8 after 25 to 50, 10 after more). Fatigue rose faster with Pomodoros, and motivation dropped faster with both Pomodoros and Flowtime than with self-regulated breaks. But overall levels of fatigue, motivation, productivity, task completion, and flow did not differ between the three. The sample was about 93% women, all psychology students.",[34,577,578],{},[20,579,332],{"href":329,"ariaDescribedBy":580,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":581},[40],"user-content-fnref-smits-2",[10,583,584,587,588],{},[51,585,586],{},"Göksu and colleagues, 2026."," 176 students read and were tested, either with a 3-minute break every 12 minutes or taking breaks whenever they liked. Test scores did not differ significantly. This time the self-regulated group reported more energy, concentration, and motivation, less distraction, and liked their method more. The authors note their test may not have been sensitive enough to show a difference, and say the findings suggest \"no single break strategy is optimal for all learners and situations.\"",[34,589,590],{},[20,591,595],{"href":592,"ariaDescribedBy":593,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":594},"#user-content-fn-goksu",[40],"user-content-fnref-goksu","11",[10,597,598],{},"Put together, nobody has shown that fixed or self-timed breaks get more done or help you learn more. The mood findings point in opposite directions from one study to the next. And we found no study that tested count-up focus paired with a fixed break you set yourself.",[10,600,601,602],{},"What does hold up is that breaks help at all: a 2022 meta-analysis of micro-breaks, 10 minutes or shorter, found small but statistically significant gains in energy and drops in fatigue, with no significant effect on overall performance.",[34,603,604],{},[20,605,609],{"href":606,"ariaDescribedBy":607,"dataFootnoteRef":41,"id":608},"#user-content-fn-albulescu",[40],"user-content-fnref-albulescu","12",[10,611,612],{},"So be wary of numbers. If a page says Flowtime makes you some percentage more productive, or quotes a consulting firm on flow making people five times as productive, it is not quoting any of these studies.",[26,614,616],{"id":615},"pros-and-cons-when-flowtime-fits-and-when-it-doesnt","Pros and cons: when Flowtime fits, and when it doesn't",[10,618,619,622],{},[51,620,621],{},"It suits work with momentum."," Writing, coding, a proof that is finally coming together: work where a bell at minute 25 costs you the thread. It also suits people who already know roughly how long they can focus.",[10,624,625,628],{},[51,626,627],{},"It suits people who want the log."," If you want to learn your real focus span for different kinds of work, the start-stop sheet is the most useful part of the method.",[10,630,631,634],{},[51,632,633],{},"It is weaker when starting is the problem."," A fixed 25 minutes makes an unpleasant task small enough to begin. \"Work until you need a break\" offers no such deal.",[10,636,637,640],{},[51,638,639],{},"It is weaker if you never stop."," The author saw that coming, which is why the troubleshooting post exists. In the 2023 study, students choosing their own breaks worked in longer stretches and reported more fatigue. If that sounds like you, try smaller tasks first, then the post's temporary 90-minute timer, or use a Pomodoro.",[26,642,644],{"id":643},"flowtime-and-flowmodoro-timers-paper-stopwatch-or-app","Flowtime and Flowmodoro timers: paper, stopwatch, or app",[646,647,648,654,660,666],"ul",{},[48,649,650,653],{},[51,651,652],{},"Paper and a clock."," The original method. One sheet with columns for task, start, stop, interruptions, and minutes.",[48,655,656,659],{},[51,657,658],{},"Any stopwatch."," Start it with the work, stop it when you stop, divide by five for Flowmodoro or look up the bracket for Flowtime, then set a countdown for the break.",[48,661,662,665],{},[51,663,664],{},"A spreadsheet or a Notion table."," Log start and stop times and let a formula do the division. You get the weekly picture for free.",[48,667,668,671],{},[51,669,670],{},"An app that does the division."," Kaizen does not calculate breaks (more on that below), so if that is the part you want, use a dedicated Flowmodoro app. Flowmo, for example, sets a break at a fifth of your focus, lets you change the ratio, and has a free tier.",[26,673,675],{"id":674},"doing-it-in-kaizen-and-what-kaizen-does-not-do","Doing it in Kaizen, and what Kaizen does not do",[10,677,678,679,681,682,686,687,691],{},"Kaizen's ",[20,680,23],{"href":22}," covers the focus half. Set the timer to Stopwatch and it counts up from zero. Hit Finish when you reach a stopping point, and the minutes land in your stats, your streak, and the ",[20,683,685],{"href":684},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Ftask-management","task"," or ",[20,688,690],{"href":689},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhabit-tracking","habit"," you picked. It is free on iPhone, Android, the web, and Windows.",[10,693,694],{},"The break half is where Kaizen is different. It does not calculate a break from your session. You get the short break you set, and a long break after every few sessions, the same as in Timer mode. You always know how long you will rest before you start, and there is nothing to work out. The cost is that a two-hour stretch earns the same break as a twenty-minute one.",[10,696,697],{},"Two ways to get close to the method anyway:",[646,699,700,711],{},[48,701,702,705,706,710],{},[51,703,704],{},"Match the ratio to your usual session."," Kaizen's ",[20,707,709],{"href":708},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Fpomodoro-timer","Pomodoro presets"," already sit on Flowmodoro's ratio: Classic is 25\u002F5, Quick 15\u002F3, and Extended 50\u002F10, all exactly five to one. If your stopwatch sessions usually end around 50 minutes, a 10-minute short break is Flowmodoro's math without the math.",[48,712,713,716],{},[51,714,715],{},"Use the goal as a maximum-time reminder."," In Stopwatch mode the work length becomes a Focus Goal, and a check-in lets you know when you reach it. Set it to 90 minutes and you have the troubleshooting post's timer as a single bell that does not stop the clock. The stopwatch also saves itself at 3 hours, whatever you set.",[10,718,719],{},"Kaizen has no interruption column, but pausing covers most of it. Pause the stopwatch when something pulls you away, and that session in your history shows how many times you paused, next to what it counted toward. It does not record what interrupted you. The original sheet does not ask for that either, so keep a pen nearby only if you want it.",[10,721,722,723,727,728,732],{},"The stopwatch also works in ",[20,724,726],{"href":725},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Ffocus-rooms","Focus Rooms",", where the people around you see your time counting up while theirs counts down. The ",[20,729,731],{"href":730},"\u002Fbody-doubling","body doubling"," guide covers why some people find that company makes work easier to start.",[26,734,736],{"id":735},"questions","Questions",[738,739,741],"h3",{"id":740},"what-is-the-flowtime-technique","What is the Flowtime Technique?",[10,743,744],{},"A way of working where you start a task without a timer, stop when you need a break, and take a break sized to how long you worked. It was published on Medium in 2016 as an alternative to the Pomodoro Technique.",[738,746,748],{"id":747},"is-flowmodoro-the-same-as-the-flowtime-technique","Is Flowmodoro the same as the Flowtime Technique?",[10,750,751],{},"Nearly. Both count focus up. Flowtime sizes the break with a table, 5 to 15 minutes in the main post. Flowmodoro divides your focus time by five. Flowmodoro is the newer name, from study videos in 2021.",[738,753,755],{"id":754},"how-long-should-a-flowtime-session-be","How long should a Flowtime session be?",[10,757,758],{},"As long as your focus holds. The original says to stop when your attention slips, you feel mentally tired, or you get frustrated, and to break more often than you think at first, because \"it takes time to learn what 'I need a break' feels like.\" If you keep overshooting, pick smaller tasks.",[738,760,762],{"id":761},"how-long-should-a-flowtime-break-be","How long should a Flowtime break be?",[10,764,765],{},"The main post suggests 5 minutes after up to 25 minutes of work, 8 after 25 to 50, 10 after 50 to 90, and 15 after that, and says those are not rules. Its own cheat sheet gives slightly different numbers, from 3 to 15 minutes. Flowmodoro would give you a fifth of your focus time.",[738,767,769],{"id":768},"what-if-i-get-interrupted-during-a-flowtime-session","What if I get interrupted during a Flowtime session?",[10,771,772],{},"Note the time, deal with it, tick the interruption column, and carry on. The original records that an interruption happened, not what it was. In Kaizen, pausing does the same job: each session in your history shows how many times you paused.",[738,774,776],{"id":775},"is-flowtime-or-flowmodoro-better-than-pomodoro","Is Flowtime or Flowmodoro better than Pomodoro?",[10,778,779],{},"No study shows either one is, and we found none that tested Flowmodoro. The one experiment we found that tested Flowtime by name found no overall difference from Pomodoro in fatigue, motivation, productivity, task completion, or flow. Pick the one that matches your problem: Pomodoro if starting is hard, Flowtime if a bell mid-thought is.",[738,781,783],{"id":782},"is-flowtime-good-for-adhd","Is Flowtime good for ADHD?",[10,785,786],{},"There is no direct evidence either way: the studies above recruited university students in general, not people with ADHD. If you tend to lose track of time, the original troubleshooting post suggests smaller tasks first, and a maximum-time alarm only as a temporary fallback.",[738,788,790],{"id":789},"does-kaizen-have-a-flowtime-timer","Does Kaizen have a Flowtime timer?",[10,792,793],{},"Kaizen has a free Stopwatch mode that counts focus up, which is the Flowtime half. Breaks stay at the fixed length you set, so Kaizen does not calculate them for you. Set the short break to a fifth of your usual session to match Flowmodoro.",[26,795,797],{"id":796},"sources","Sources",[10,799,800,801,816,817,827,828,830],{},"Flowmo's features were checked on September 26, 2026 on ",[20,802,807,808],{"href":803,"rel":804,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fflowmo.io\u002F",[805],"noopener","_blank","flowmo.io",[809,810,811],"span",{},[809,812,815],{"className":813},[814],"sr-only"," (opens in a new tab)"," and its ",[20,818,821,822],{"href":819,"rel":820,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fapps.apple.com\u002Fus\u002Fapp\u002Fflowmo-flowmodoro-timer\u002Fid6670529689",[805],"App Store listing",[809,823,824],{},[809,825,815],{"className":826},[814],". How Kaizen's stopwatch works is on the ",[20,829,23],{"href":22}," page.",[832,833,836,840],"section",{"className":834,"dataFootnotes":41},[835],"footnotes",[26,837,839],{"className":838,"id":40},[814],"Footnotes",[45,841,842,871,890,909,935,944,970,1000,1019,1038,1057,1076],{},[48,843,845,846,856,857,856,864],{"id":844},"user-content-fn-main","Urgent Pigeon (2016, August 17). The Flowtime Technique. Medium. ",[20,847,850,851],{"href":848,"rel":849,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fthe-flowtime-technique-7685101bd191",[805],"medium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fthe-flowtime-technique-7685101bd191",[809,852,853],{},[809,854,815],{"className":855},[814]," ",[20,858,863],{"href":859,"ariaLabel":860,"className":861,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-main","Back to reference 1",[862],"data-footnote-backref","↩",[20,865,863,869],{"href":866,"ariaLabel":867,"className":868,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-main-2","Back to reference 1-2",[862],[34,870,202],{},[48,872,874,875,856,885],{"id":873},"user-content-fn-part1","Urgent Pigeon (2016, August 13). Abandoning Pomodoros, Part One: The Pros and Cons of Pomos. Medium. ",[20,876,879,880],{"href":877,"rel":878,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fabandoning-pomodoros-part-one-the-pros-and-cons-of-pomos-e3f3e9342ac9",[805],"medium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fabandoning-pomodoros-part-one-the-pros-and-cons-of-pomos-e3f3e9342ac9",[809,881,882],{},[809,883,815],{"className":884},[814],[20,886,863],{"href":887,"ariaLabel":888,"className":889,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-part1","Back to reference 2",[862],[48,891,893,894,856,904],{"id":892},"user-content-fn-cheat","Urgent Pigeon (2016, August 17). The Flowtime Technique Cheat Sheet. Medium. ",[20,895,898,899],{"href":896,"rel":897,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fthe-flowtime-technique-cheat-sheet-30168b2e31d9",[805],"medium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fthe-flowtime-technique-cheat-sheet-30168b2e31d9",[809,900,901],{},[809,902,815],{"className":903},[814],[20,905,863],{"href":906,"ariaLabel":907,"className":908,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-cheat","Back to reference 3",[862],[48,910,912,913,856,923,856,928],{"id":911},"user-content-fn-trouble","Urgent Pigeon (2016, August 17). Flowtime Troubleshooting: If you find yourself not taking breaks. Medium. ",[20,914,917,918],{"href":915,"rel":916,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fflowtime-troubleshooting-if-you-find-yourself-not-taking-breaks-d33da913c7dd",[805],"medium.com\u002F@UrgentPigeon\u002Fflowtime-troubleshooting-if-you-find-yourself-not-taking-breaks-d33da913c7dd",[809,919,920],{},[809,921,815],{"className":922},[814],[20,924,863],{"href":925,"ariaLabel":926,"className":927,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-trouble","Back to reference 4",[862],[20,929,863,933],{"href":930,"ariaLabel":931,"className":932,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-trouble-2","Back to reference 4-2",[862],[34,934,202],{},[48,936,938,939],{"id":937},"user-content-fn-csik","Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row. ",[20,940,863],{"href":941,"ariaLabel":942,"className":943,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-csik","Back to reference 5",[862],[48,945,947,948,856,958,856,963],{"id":946},"user-content-fn-smits","Smits, E. J. C., Wenzel, N., and de Bruin, A. (2025). Investigating the Effectiveness of Self-Regulated, Pomodoro, and Flowtime Break-Taking Techniques Among Students. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 861. ",[20,949,952,953],{"href":950,"rel":951,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.3390\u002Fbs15070861",[805],"doi.org\u002F10.3390\u002Fbs15070861",[809,954,955],{},[809,956,815],{"className":957},[814],[20,959,863],{"href":960,"ariaLabel":961,"className":962,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-smits","Back to reference 6",[862],[20,964,863,968],{"href":965,"ariaLabel":966,"className":967,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-smits-2","Back to reference 6-2",[862],[34,969,202],{},[48,971,973,974,984,985,856,995],{"id":972},"user-content-fn-newton","Newton, A. (2021, February 23). \"This is at least 2x more effective than the pomodoro technique #flowmodoro.\" TikTok. ",[20,975,978,979],{"href":976,"rel":977,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@archernewton\u002Fvideo\u002F6932591752104791297",[805],"tiktok.com\u002F@archernewton\u002Fvideo\u002F6932591752104791297",[809,980,981],{},[809,982,815],{"className":983},[814],". Later: The Technique BETTER than Pomodoro #Shorts (2021), YouTube. ",[20,986,989,990],{"href":987,"rel":988,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fshorts\u002FRzxqRx6bRhA",[805],"youtube.com\u002Fshorts\u002FRzxqRx6bRhA",[809,991,992],{},[809,993,815],{"className":994},[814],[20,996,863],{"href":997,"ariaLabel":998,"className":999,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-newton","Back to reference 7",[862],[48,1001,1003,1004,856,1014],{"id":1002},"user-content-fn-thrive","Peplin, K. (2023, April 4). Flowmodoro: A timer variation for deep focus. Thrive PhD. ",[20,1005,1008,1009],{"href":1006,"rel":1007,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thrive-phd.com\u002Fblog\u002F2023\u002F4\u002F4\u002Fflowmodoro-a-timer-variation-for-deep-focus",[805],"thrive-phd.com",[809,1010,1011],{},[809,1012,815],{"className":1013},[814],[20,1015,863],{"href":1016,"ariaLabel":1017,"className":1018,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-thrive","Back to reference 8",[862],[48,1020,1022,1023,856,1033],{"id":1021},"user-content-fn-cirillo","Cirillo, F. (2006). The Pomodoro Technique. ",[20,1024,1027,1028],{"href":1025,"rel":1026,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pomodorotechnique.com\u002F",[805],"pomodorotechnique.com",[809,1029,1030],{},[809,1031,815],{"className":1032},[814],[20,1034,863],{"href":1035,"ariaLabel":1036,"className":1037,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-cirillo","Back to reference 9",[862],[48,1039,1041,1042,856,1052],{"id":1040},"user-content-fn-biwer","Biwer, F., Wiradhany, W., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., and de Bruin, A. B. H. (2023). Understanding effort regulation: Comparing 'Pomodoro' breaks and self-regulated breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(S2), 353-367. ",[20,1043,1046,1047],{"href":1044,"rel":1045,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1111\u002Fbjep.12593",[805],"doi.org\u002F10.1111\u002Fbjep.12593",[809,1048,1049],{},[809,1050,815],{"className":1051},[814],[20,1053,863],{"href":1054,"ariaLabel":1055,"className":1056,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-biwer","Back to reference 10",[862],[48,1058,1060,1061,856,1071],{"id":1059},"user-content-fn-goksu","Göksu, A., Wiradhany, W., and de Bruin, A. B. H. (2026). When to Take a Break: Comparing Effects of Systematic Short (Pomodoro) and Self-Regulated Breaks on Subjective Experience and Actual Learning. Behavioral Sciences, 16(7), 1158. ",[20,1062,1065,1066],{"href":1063,"rel":1064,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.3390\u002Fbs16071158",[805],"doi.org\u002F10.3390\u002Fbs16071158",[809,1067,1068],{},[809,1069,815],{"className":1070},[814],[20,1072,863],{"href":1073,"ariaLabel":1074,"className":1075,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-goksu","Back to reference 11",[862],[48,1077,1079,1080,856,1090],{"id":1078},"user-content-fn-albulescu","Albulescu, P., Macsinga, I., Rusu, A., Sulea, C., Bodnaru, A., and Tulbure, B. T. (2022). \"Give me a break!\" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272460. ",[20,1081,1084,1085],{"href":1082,"rel":1083,"target":806},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0272460",[805],"doi.org\u002F10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0272460",[809,1086,1087],{},[809,1088,815],{"className":1089},[814],[20,1091,863],{"href":1092,"ariaLabel":1093,"className":1094,"dataFootnoteBackref":41},"#user-content-fnref-albulescu","Back to reference 12",[862],{"title":41,"searchDepth":1096,"depth":1096,"links":1097},2,[1098,1099,1100,1101,1102,1103,1104,1105,1106,1107,1118,1119],{"id":28,"depth":1096,"text":29},{"id":183,"depth":1096,"text":184},{"id":234,"depth":1096,"text":235},{"id":344,"depth":1096,"text":345},{"id":446,"depth":1096,"text":447},{"id":551,"depth":1096,"text":552},{"id":615,"depth":1096,"text":616},{"id":643,"depth":1096,"text":644},{"id":674,"depth":1096,"text":675},{"id":735,"depth":1096,"text":736,"children":1108},[1109,1111,1112,1113,1114,1115,1116,1117],{"id":740,"depth":1110,"text":741},3,{"id":747,"depth":1110,"text":748},{"id":754,"depth":1110,"text":755},{"id":761,"depth":1110,"text":762},{"id":768,"depth":1110,"text":769},{"id":775,"depth":1110,"text":776},{"id":782,"depth":1110,"text":783},{"id":789,"depth":1110,"text":790},{"id":796,"depth":1096,"text":797},{"id":40,"depth":1096,"text":839},"Focus until you are done, then take a break sized to the work. How Flowtime and Flowmodoro work, their break tables, Flowtime vs Pomodoro, and the research.","md","Guide",{},true,"\u002Fflowtime-technique","2026-09-26",{"title":5,"description":1120},"Flowtime Technique and Flowmodoro: how they work","flowtime-technique","lxEo-mjSpNcQqicbjMBAUVWI5V7U1Ynk2kAgL8dktKE",1790433440695]