How to use the online timer
Twenty-five minutes of work, five minutes off, four times through, is the classic split and the one to start with before adjusting anything. Four rounds gives one hundred minutes of focused work inside about two hours, which is a realistic morning. Twenty-five is short enough that starting feels easy even on a task you have been avoiding, and that lowered barrier to beginning is a large part of why the split has survived.
The five-minute break is where most people undo it. Checking messages, opening a news site or scrolling for five minutes gives the eyes a change of scenery and the mind none, so the next block starts more scattered than the last one ended. Standing up, filling the kettle, looking out of a window or walking to the other end of the office does considerably more, and five minutes is enough for all of them.
After the fourth round, take fifteen to thirty minutes properly before starting another set, rather than running blocks back to back all day. If the work keeps overrunning the twenty-five minutes and stopping feels like vandalism, that is a sign the task suits a longer split rather than a sign the technique has failed.
Common questions
Can I check my phone during the five minutes?
You can, but it undoes most of the point. Standing up, filling the kettle or looking out of a window rests the mind in a way that another screen does not.
What happens after four rounds?
Take fifteen to thirty minutes properly before starting a fresh set, rather than running blocks back to back all day. Four rounds is about a hundred minutes of focused work, which is a decent morning.
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