Ask HN: Do you use the Pomodoro technique? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Do you use the Pomodoro technique?

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I've been using this technique for 10yrs now, I find that it really helps (even in 25mins or 50mins sessions).

I know only one person who actually does the technique daily.

So, if you do Pomodoro, how do you use it? How do you make it stick?

I don't use it. Somehow I'm constantly checking how much time remains. Can't get into the flow. And if I do get into any kind of flow state, the last thing I want is to get interrupted by a timer.

I think it might work great for physical work. Remembering to stretch or take a break. But, for me, not for any type of brainy work.

Yep, sounds like a nightmare to me. I can’t focus if there’s an appointment in less than five hours. The perspective of having a 25 min timer makes everything futile.

It was great for mental labor too, like data entry. But these days, you can toss all the tedious mental stuff to a LLM.

I didn't like it because I hated getting interrupted after 25 minutes. It kept breaking my focus.

What I found worked well for me instead was "count up" pomodoro.

  - Start a stop watch or simple wrist watch and leave it on your desk.
  - If you glance at it and it is less than 25 minutes, keep going.
  - Else if it is over 25 minutes, take a break if you feel like it. Write down how much time you worked. At the end of day, add up your time.

Although it is probably good to set a timer when taking a break because you do want to be interrupted in that case.

I use Pomodoro occasionally (~few times a year)when I really need to focus on some unpleasant task.

The rest of the time I rely on screaming at myself inside my head.

I used pomodoro for years via a CLI tool I built:

[1] https://taylor.town/nowify

Yes but not for anything requiring deep thought as the intervals don't lend itself to that style of work for me.

But any admin tasks, emails, etc work great.

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