Download Focus, Commit - Use the Pomodoro technique to keep yourself focused on your tasks by breaking up your time into work and break intervals, with this intuitive Windows 10 app. One feature I'd like to see added: I want the ability to give my Pomodoro sessions a short, 1-line label, and have that captured in history. This way, at the end of the week, I could see something like (6 Pomodoros on Project X, 3 Pomodoros on Project Y, 4 Pomodoros on Project Z, etc.). Set the Pomodoro (timer) to 25 minutes; Work on the task until the timer expires; Record with an X; Take a Short Break (5 minutes) Every four 'pomodoros', take a Long Break (10 minutes) Q. What is TomatoTimer? It's an easy to use, flexible Pomodoro Technique timer. It was inspired by Tomatoi.st and it uses jQuery and HTML5 features like.
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.[1] The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for 'tomato', after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.[2][3]
The technique has been widely popularized by dozens of apps and websites providing timers and instructions. Closely related to concepts such as timeboxing and iterative and incremental development used in software design; the method has been adopted in pair programming contexts.[4]
There are six steps in the original technique:
For the purposes of the technique, a pomodoro is the interval of time spent working.[1]
Regular breaks are taken, aiding assimilation. A short (3–5 minutes) rest separates consecutive pomodoros. Four pomodoros form a set. A longer (15–30 minute) rest is taken between sets.[1][6]
A goal of the technique is to reduce the impact of internal and external interruptions on focus and flow. A pomodoro is indivisible; when interrupted during a pomodoro, either the other activity must be recorded and postponed (using the inform – negotiate – schedule – call back strategy[7]) or the pomodoro must be abandoned.[1][6][8]
After task completion in a pomodoro, any time remaining could be devoted to activities such as:
Cirillo suggests:
Specific cases should be handled with common sense: If you finish a task while the Pomodoro is still ticking, the following rule applies: If a Pomodoro begins, it has to ring. It’s a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity for overlearning, using the remaining portion of the Pomodoro to review or repeat what you’ve done, make small improvements, and note what you’ve learned until the Pomodoro rings.[9]
The stages of planning, tracking, recording, processing and visualizing are fundamental to the technique.[10] In the planning phase, tasks are prioritized by recording them in a 'To Do Today' list. This enables users to estimate the effort tasks require. As pomodoros are completed, they are recorded, adding to a sense of accomplishment and providing raw data for subsequent self-observation and improvement.[1]
The creator and his proponents encourage a low-tech approach, using a mechanical timer, paper, and pencil. The physical act of winding the timer confirms the user's determination to start the task; ticking externalises desire to complete the task; ringing announces a break. Flow and focus become associated with these physical stimuli.[1][11]
The technique has inspired application software for several platforms.[12][13]
There are many variations on the Pomodoro Technique. These allow individuals to tailor the principles of the Pomodoro Technique to better suit their personal working style.
Some variations include:
All of these approaches preserve the core Pomodoro Technique principle of working in specific time blocks, but they adjust the periods to better suit individual needs.
4. WHEN THE POMODORO RINGS, PUT A CHECKMARK ON A PAPERClick the 'how' link and see step 4. Presumably, the piece of paper can be one's task list or similar. In any case, four check marks indicate a longer break (step 6).
Whether you are preparing for your final semesters or finishing your pending work, a Pomodoro timer will help you boost your productivity and get things done in less time. In our previous article, we talked about some of the best Pomodoro timer apps for Android and in this one, we’ll choose our best pick for Windows. So, let’s begin.
For the unknown, Pomodoro is a technique developed by Frencesco Cirillo for improving your productivity. A work session is broken down to 25-minute segments and each segment is followed by a short 5-minute break. Each 25-minute work block is called a “Pomodoro“. After four Pomodoros (or four 25-mins sessions) you should take a longer break (say 15-20 minutes) and repeat the same cycle again.
While you can always get one of those, Tomato Shaped Kitchen Timer from Amazon, we recommend using Pomodoro timer apps on your devices. They not only let you keep a log of all your work but you can also take it anywhere you go. Not to mention tons of other features that come with it.
Read: Best Reminder Apps for Windows
Pomodoro Timer For Windows
Best for: people who don’t want anything but a simple timer app
Focus 10 is a simple Windows app that lets you set Pomodoro timer on your desktop. The minimalistic design focuses mainly on offering a nonintrusive experience while you focus on your work.
In the default setting, you get 4 Pomodoros of 25 minutes each followed by 5 minutes break and a longer break at the end of all the 4 sessions. After every Pomodoro, an alarm sounds to notify you of your completed Pomodoro and the break starts immediately after. You can pause the timer in between or jump straight to the next Pomodoro if you want. The settings page offers customization of Pomodoro and breaks length, you can even change the alarm sound in the settings. Focus 10 is a free app and offers just that, however, if you want more features, read on.
Tipard blu ray player for mac 6 2 10. Best for: People looking for simple and Open Source Pomodoro timer app
Yet Another Pomodoro App which is a very brilliant implementation of the Pomodoro Technique. In many ways, it’s quite similar to Focus 10; simple. A timer that counts down 25 minutes and keeps track of the number of Pomodoro sessions sits on the top right corner. It draws over other apps so that it is always on the top of the screen.
I really enjoy YAPA because its UI is non-existent and you can drag it around. You can choose the light or the dark theme and change the opacity to make it barely visible. YAPA is free and open-source.
Best for: People looking for cross-platform Pomodoro timer which records your sessions and tracks your productivity.
Focus Booster app works only when you make an account, but conveniently enough you can create a 30-day trial account that offers 20 Pomodoro sessions. All your activities are stored on the account and you can get an insight into your productivity by logging on the website. Unlike the previous one, Focus booster also offers mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Mac.
The app also has a dark theme and you can minimize it while keeping just the timer on the screen. Your timesheet is updated every time you finish a Pomodoro and the report is generated once it gets significant data. Focus Booster is best for people who want to track their activities and generate insightful data. Focus Booster is a paid app with a 30-days free trial.
Download Focus Booster (Windows | iOS | Android | Mac)
Best for: People looking to keep track of distractions and productive activities. Serial number rave report 8949.
A Pomodoro app that implements the technique with a few more features and increases the potency of the app. Focus Journal offers more than just one profile. You can create separate timers for different tasks.
You get two buttons on the bottom; Minimize and auto distraction mode. Minimize button draws a tiny timer just like YAPA on the corner of the screen and auto distraction mode detects your distractions while running the timer. You can run this app either for productivity or calculate distractions. In productivity mode it works like a normal Pomodoro app, however, in the distracted mode, you count the times you got distracted. It keeps a log of successful Pomodoro and distractions.
Pro Tip: Use a White Noise App to minimize your distractions during a Pomodoro Session
Focus Journal is free and gets the job done but doesn’t offer To-Do list integration and we’ll check it in the next app.
Best for: people looking for a cross-platform Pomodoro timer with to-do list integration
Pomotodo integrates a to-do list in this app and syncs cross-platform. It is a time management app designed for the creators. It is based on the Pomodoro Technique and GTD theory.
The app syncs your activities and tasks on to other devices linked with the account. You can set Pomodoro timers and to-do lists and add items to the list. You can prioritize the list items by pinning and adding hashtags. The pro version offers a few extra features in the todo list like create sub-to-dos, set reminders, repeat, and add notes.
The statistics generated by the app gives you an insight into your daily productivity, top tags show which tasks were most achieved and what is the best working time for you. This is a great app for achieving goals with an integrated to-do list. You can sync your data over the devices by signing in. The basic version is free but you can upgrade to the pro version($3.9/mo) for full features.
Download Pomotodo (Windows | Mac | Android | iOS | Web)
Best for: People looking for great for task management and report generation Mitti 1 5 5 qt.
Focus To-Do lets you make tasks and execute using the Pomodoro technique. You can set tasks for the day and the time required for its completion. This app keeps track of the time elapsed and tasks completed. The detailed report can be generated with the data gathered over time.
You can sign in and sync your tasks to different devices and share your report. Multiple tasks can be created and you can add them to the inbox within a set time. If you feel like switching from one task to another, you can do that by simply pausing the current task and focus on the second.
The report is generated based on the daily task that you perform and the frequency of distractions. You can check your detailed report by clicking the report icon on the top right of the window and it would display daily, weekly, and monthly charts of Pomodoro events and completed tasks.
The app is free for windows and offers a few in-app purchases.
This app is great for task management and report generation but we can’t block apps and websites. We’ll find that feature in the next.
Best for: People looking for Pomodoro App that can block distraction as well
FocusMe is more than just a timer app and not only it sets the timer to make you more productive but also keeps you from being distracted. We tested app blockers for Android and works similar to those apps.
This app offers plans with which you can create plans with this app or choose from existing plans. Some of the plans listed on the app are social media block, block internet, Pomodoro Focus, and Time Limit News. These are not a gimmick but this app actually stops you from getting distracted by automatically minimizing the apps and closing tabs while running.
FocusMe encourages you to take breaks and has an option of forced breaks. It essentially takes over the screen rendering your computer unusable for the time period, forcing you to spend time away from your computer, I can see it would be helpful in creating a mental break. You can check your website stats and App stats and introspect about your usage habits.
FocusMe is a paid app with a subscription of $2.5/mo and has a free trial.
Best for: People looking for Pomodoro timer with integration to task management tool which links popular tools like Todoist, Wunderlist, Asana, Trello, and Evernote.
PomoDone is the most advanced Pomodoro timer for windows in the list. In fact, it’s much more than a Pomodoro timer, for example, it lets you sync your tasks with most of the task management tools and also encourages you to complete the tasks. I work with Trello to keep track of my daily tasks and using this app to get the work done becomes so easier. I can just pick my card and set a timer and get to work. As soon as I’m done with the task I can update it in the Pomodone app and it directly updates Done to Trello.
All your active tasks are shown in the window. You can change the settings of how a timer reacts and does when invoked and finished. You can check the time log and see how much time you’ve spent and on which task. This insightful data is available instantly in the app and you can probably check it through the web app.
It is a subscription-based plan and you get many advanced features, though you can try the free version which has a few limitations like 1-month access and link with two apps(out of 5).Download Pomodone(Windows | Mac | Android | iOS | Web)
Yapa is my favorite Pomodoro Timer Windows app because it has the most intuitive timer. While Focus Journal and Focus Booster give you insights on your activities, FocusME blocks you from using any apps while forcing you to be productive. These were some of our choices, try a few for yourselves and let us know the results.
Overall, Pomodoro timers are best for the type of work that is independent of other people. For example, I’ll use a Pomodoro timer, while I’m writing this article, but not while a sales call or brainstorming with my team. Also, don’t do more than 10 Pomodoro in a day. The less you do it, the more effective they become.