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I also hate the 20/5 approach, I feel like I need at least 45-60 minutes to get into a flow, and I can't do dick in 5 minutes. That's a pee break, not a break. But also, you can modify it for yourself. Try a 40/10 or 60/15 approach

I completely empathize with the almost visceral discomfort that comes with having to stop what you're currently doing!

I've never even tried it because I hate the idea. I hate being interrupted when I'm in focus mode, why would anyone do that on purpose? With the amount of work it takes to get focused in the first place???

Also, "the Pomodoro Technique is named after the Italian word for "tomato" (pomodoro) because its creator, Francesco Cirillo, used a tomato shaped kitchen timer to time his focused work sessions while developing the method in the late 1980s."

I feel the breaks are pointless and stress me. The part i enjoy is that the timer sets a goal in reach and i know its gonna be over soon kinda like that

Then do it a different way.

No tip. No app. No advice. None of it is universal. It's options. You can try. You can modify. And you can move on.

I will do a reverse Pomodoro. Where I will play games for 45 minutes and then clean or do laundry or whatever I need to do for 15 minutes. Sometimes it's 30/5.

Being interrupted can also be a good thing in some contexts. I've considered it for work. Just because I'm locked in doesn't mean I'm locked in on the right thing. I often find myself digging into rabbit holes I don't need because I incrementally go there. Having to come up for air every hour so refocuses the effort.

I try not to interrupt flows, so totally empathize with what you're saying. I get pretty anxious if I finally lock in only to get interrupted in 5 minutes.

That said, I'm getting old now, and if I fixate for hours without a break, my body hurts. So I try to take breaks at least once an hour. Plus a lot of times I'm fixated and need to just finish up.

But deadlines do help. So maybe pomodoro, but with some space for myself.

You don't have to break the flow if you reach hyperfocus. Isn't that part of the point?

It's a tomato timer.

Edit: you'll hate this, but it sounds like it might work for you. You get several restarts to get into a flow state until you 1.) achieve a flow state or 2.) complete the task.

Always looked like madness to me.

Like sleep torture, continually breaking focus at the very point I find it, just leaving a constant procrastination phase.

Not productive

Yeah no, doesn't work for me. My brain knows that literally nothing will happen if I spend those 20 minutes procrastinating instead of working, so the whole urgency / deadline thing is just 100% inefficient. The authority thing also hits home - I have spent 40+ years perfecting the art of not taking authority figures seriously, so it's gonna take way more than a tomato to get me in line.

I haven’t even tried it because I hate being told what to do and this feels like that for some reason.

I use it as a fake out to get started. I follow the breaks and timers until I get focused then stop using them.

Yeah, it doesn't work for me. When I'm doing complex stuff, I need to iterate cycles of finding different solutions that are connected. If I stop, I lose momentum and start form zero. 

omfg SAME, i struggle so hard with transitions, both ramping up into full focus mode and winding back down to relax, so trying to switch between the two multiple times an hour is actually the worst possible way for me to get anything done. better for me to plan one or two 3hr blocks to get into the flow if work and allow myself the rest of the day to adjust in and out of those time blocks.

Days when I have too many meetings scheduled are essentially shot for this exact reason; I need too much transition time before and after each of them :p

I hate pomodoro for exactly this reason, but what I do is similar I guess?

I light an incense stick and work for as long as I'm locked in. If I finish a couple tasks and the incense is still lit, I'll keep going. If it's burnt out, I'll allow myself a short break to light a new one.

The trick (for me) is that I'm not allowed to sit for as long as I'm up. I can get food, hang out with my cats, watch tiktoks, whatever. But I cannot sit.

Once I light a new stick, it's time to lock in again. It might take me another 20 minutes to actually start my next task, but it doesn't feel like I'm stuck working forever.

You can adjust the time ranges. I don't find getting back into the project different because the hard part for me was starting at all. Once I do, I'm engaged with some puzzle that pulls me back easily enough once my little break is over.

The other reason I use a pomodoro timer is because hyper focus has as many downsides as upsides. I have other things I want to do in a day, like eat a healthy meal and sleep. And there's other projects that need addressing. If I spend 7 hours lost down some rabbit-hole I will over accomplish one thing and everything else will go to hell. When I finally dig myself out of that hole, I'm not going to feel good about what I accomplished, I'm going to feel bad about all the important stuff I didn't do.

Yeah, there's days when I can't make myself use the timer. Most days I do, and feel better for it.

2 things:

1. It’s important to do NOTHING WHATSOEVER during the 5 minute break. You will find that you’re actually itching to continue with your main task throughout the break and it will feel pointless but doing the pomodoro thing will help you to maintain a state of flow for longer than you would have done otherwise (assuming you’re engaged in a routine boring administrative task. Obviously all rules go out of the window if you’re doing something novel and stimulating). Doing any other activity during the break wrecks the flow and makes the next 25 minute session more difficult.

2. 25/5 isn’t really a great ratio. I think it’s promoted to make the task feel easier (“hey, it’s only 25 minutes”) but it’s not optimal. You need to experiment with different ratios and find what’s best for you. 53/17 is the sweet spot for me. It’s a proper block of work and a proper break. I do watch YouTube during the 17 minute break but I don’t go on social media at all.

It has that name because the inventor used a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, and that has just stuck.

I'm with you though, 20 minute intervals seem too short for someone struggling with task initiation. As with all ADHD hacks and techniques, it's gonna work for some people and not others.

That being said, there are some pretty well established advantages to taking a few minutes every hour or so to get up and move around and/or let your eyes rest if you've been looking at a screen, not just for ADHD but to combat the health impact of sitting all day and the eye strain of staring at screens constantly. Not as big of a deal if you are working at a standing desk or doing something analog, but might be worth the interruption in your workflow to do like a loose 60/15. Plus it's a good time to get a glass of water!

Completely useless method imo

It really depends on the person. If this doesn’t apply for you, fantastic, for many though, it offers an ability to focus for a period of time when distractions usually keep them from doing that in the first place.

My ADHD absolutely does not respond to any type of time blocking. I need the spontaneity and unpredictability in order to thrive. I find anything that comes from productivity world to be incredibly stifling.

If I need to be adherent to time then I will stick on an album that is 45mins or some comfort show that I know how long it is. I do respond to ‘ see how much I can do while the kettle is boiling’ and then forget I was making a cuppa😂

There’s no rule that says you have to do 25-5 or even stop after a pomodoro. It’s more about being intentional and creating rests/time signifiers for your brain. E.g. the Flow State podcast sometimes does hour long pomodoros followed by a longer break. I use pomodoro all the time and I often skip breaks; but in the end it helps me realize when I’m spending too much time on a task.

I discovered it on my own in graduate school through treating my school work as a meditation. That is if during the designated time my attention wandered I brought it back to the work. Then the rule for the break was that I could put attention on anything but the work. I did a 30 on and 15 off for about 3hrs a study block. Set up and break down time did not count. The timer was for the actual work time.

I only learned later that it was a “thing” marketed as pomodoro.

I have the same problem, because I'm going to take a break after 25 minutes. If I take 20 minutes, how can I get into a flow state to study?

That's why my Pomodoros are dynamic. Depending on how I feel, I can do:

Longer work blocks like 50/60 minutes with 15-20 minute breaks. (This is my usual block)

Very long blocks of 80/90 minutes, with 20-25 minute breaks. (When I have a lot of energy)

Shorter blocks of 25-30 minutes. (I do this when I'm more mentally tired)

doing my 5 min as we speak. Been having OK results.

I think the idea with 5 min is to give yourself just enough of a pause that you get a little bit of energy while still keeping the ideas cooking in your brain. I know it is hard to look away once you've started, but try to give your brain rest. Also if you can maybe try it with a partner i found it sort of fun to chat for 5 and then get back to it.

Honestly, same 😅 If it takes 20 minutes just to get into flow, being forced to stop feels counterproductive. For my brain, momentum matters way more than timers.

Also… I refuse to be bossed around by a tomato 🍅😂

Yep. I hate this advice, always. I struggle the most with transitions and task initiation. Why would I… make more transitions.

As far as I can tell some guy had a timer shaped like a pomodoro tomato and he used it in college to work in short bursts with rests in between and he figured other people might like it. Honestly, it's just a well-marketed timer that some people find useful. I don't think there's anything other than anecdotal evidence saying that the specific timing is critical. You can adjust and use the general idea of occasionally taking breaks to not wear yourself out any way you like.

I find it useful for tasks that you actively don't _want_ to do. For those ones the "only 20 minutes" part is helpful in getting over the wall and making some progress.

Also using it with my (also ADHD) kid for homework, coupled with a visual timer, and it's working really well there.

I think it's a case where not all tools work for everyone, and not all tools work for all tasks. Maybe give it a try next time you have a task that the barrier isn't starting, but staying on task because you'd rather be doing _anything_ else.

yeah, being bossed around by produce is weird. 🍅

This isn't unpopular, different techniques work for different folks and everyone with ADHD is different.

I actually really like it and it was my approach to work before I was medicated (or even diagnosed). Yea, like a lot of other people have said, best to do the longer work intervals to allow the entering of the flow state.

i much prefer the technique i found in 2020 called the "flowstate technique" -- an example timer can be found here, but i've been wanting to work on one myself for a minute since this one locks a lot of features behind paywalls

it applies the same logistics of the pomodoro timer, but instead of forcing a break, you just build a bank of "pause time," which can be used at any time you want. much better for the adhd mindset of flow!

Same. Once I can get really into something I can do it for a few hours but taking any break immediately saps my energy and motivation

Now I want pasta for lunch...

I mostly use mental cues, if I spent too little or too long on a task. It keeps me from forgetting time, trying to stay on track. I also check how focused, if I'm not being productive and it may be time to break, then re-focus, repeat until done.

Just having a timer gives enough pressure without any goal or limit, seeing seconds tick is more visual than minutes on a clock. It can help create useful time pressure, I reset it everytime I taken a break.

Whatever works for the task.

I've recently started using pomodoro but if I'm into something I ignore it and power through. If I hate the task though 40 mins is a perfect slice of time for me.

I will use it as a way to get me going, like the challenge of working for say 20 minutes is motivating. But once my break timer goes off, if I'm in a flow state, I'll simply keep working. But if I'm obsessing over something else while I'm working, knowing that I have a break coming up really helps to push me to wait another 15 minutes or whatever instead of "just doing the thing real quick" and getting distracted for an hour and a half lol.

Ok, so I just put on something I’ve watched and enjoy playing in the background, keeping me company while I do the work I’m supposed to do and dread so much… lately it’s been breaking bad and better call Saul as they are both a few seasons and long ish episodes. Sometimes it’s the office, parks and rec, the big bang theory, that kind of nonsense. The background noise actually lets me focus and get started sooner than without having any of that.

I can't do OG Pomodoro because my attention span is too far gone to actually step into the process of doing 25 minutes of work. However, I've had some minor success with a kind of reverse-Pomodoro, using video games that measure time in days. Basically, I play one day of Stardew Valley -> as soon as my character goes to sleep and the day resets, I pause and get up and do one chore -> when the chore is done, I play another day of Stardew Valley -> etc. It's basically babying my brain into doing chores by giving it something it enjoys, then providing a clear demarcation point for starting the chore. It doesn't work with more open-ended games because then I'm in charge of marking the transition, which I'm terrible at.

I find wearing a Nike: Just Do It T-shirt equally effective as Pomodoro.

I love it. But if the timer goes off and I'm in the flow, I just ignore it and keep doing what I'm doing.

I just need timers to get started. And to know if I'm still struggling after 20 mins I get a break soon. But if I'm okay, I just carry on working.

the only thing the pomodoro technique has helped me with is staying hydrated, looking away from the screen, and remembering to pee. when the 5-minutes hit, i check in on those 3 things, then i keep working. if i already have water at my desk and i don’t actually have to pee, i just look away from my screen for 20 seconds then go right back to work

The break is there as needed if getting worn down, or to talk yourself into starting to begin with. Don't break a flow state if you're doing the most urgent and important thing already. It's about conserving mental energy, and stopping when you don't want to takes energy, same as starting.

Yeah. I have tried this and have never made it work. It only serve to make things worse for me.

However, I find a very loose interpretation of it can be helpful sometimes: - Give yourself 20 minutes on a specific task, but don’t set an alarm or timer unless you absolutely need that. - If you enter a flow state or are feeling productive on the task, just keep going until that stops or you need to stop. - If that doesn’t happen after 20 minutes, give yourself at least a 5 minute break (but as long as you need or can afford), then move on to another task. - If you need to return to the same task because of a deadline or something, try to approach it differently or inject some novelty into it somehow. - Repeat as needed.

Of course, I caveat that with the same thing I’d say about the Pomodoro technique. If it helps, use it. If it doesn’t, don’t.

These are like tools in a toolbox, you don’t use all the tools on every job. You use the ones that make the job at hand easier. Sometimes, you buy a tool, try it out, and never use it again.

yes, i'm always so confused by people suggesting it for adhd lol. like. it kinda goes against our entire mode of operation?

I don’t know what it is. But my pro-tip is: pick the low hanging fruit and always be moving forward. This from a 66 year old after a lifetime of coping and masking on my own, and thinking everyone else was like me.

Yes!!! Once I do finally start I want to go and go and go- ill have one VERY productive day and then nothing…too bad every day cant be productive

So do it how it works for you. The timer for means that that’s how long I have to sit down and attempt to do the thing. But if it goes off and I’m in the flow of doing it then I don’t stop. It’s a good way to be disciplined about starting things and making sure you attempt to do it for however long without scrolling your phone or other things but you don’t need to do the parts of it that don’t work for you.

I'm 70, adhd/dyslexic. My capacity baseline mimics what normal peeps are at when they are overloaded. lol, like having 3 browsers open with 25 tabs each. I developed my owns systems to help me spot overload or depletion before I get there.

I can’t do that technique at all, it often takes me like an hour to even start being productive with larger tasks (aka the ones I get the worst executive dysfunction for). It’s much easier for me to just spend like 4-5 hours straight on things like that on the last few days

Yea it doesn’t work for me at all

It doesn't work for me because I just keep forgetting about the timer, even if I have it right in front of me 😅

Me too. It doesn't help give me the initial push, and instead it tells me to rest when I'm finally "in the zone," which is extremely dangerous to my productivity.

I personally don’t hate it, but I don’t really think it works. My mind works in extremes, so either I spend hours working on something, or I don’t do it. There’s no middle ground at all, so the Pomodoro technique doesn’t work for me.

Same here… I have been experimenting with many different approaches. The one that seems to be working is “gamifying” tasks, meaning that I set myself 3, 10, 30 minutes timer depending on the task then see if I can finish whatever is it at hand within that time frame.

The “reward” for me can be the rest of the time to myself or longer if I feel like it. Also, one unintended side effect of this is that now I have an idea how much different tasks usually take and it gets me thinking of how I can “optimize” my time which I find enjoyable.

No I’m the same. People say to use the break for anything but getting on your phone but my brain is a rebel. It’s the first thing I go for. And then I’ll surpass the 5 minutes and then I’ll just end up on my phone instead of studying. I used the Forest app when I was in college and if I remember correctly you could add extra time to your timer once it’s up. The more focus time you logged the more little trees and stuff that you could get. So that was motivating to me to keep going if I was already focused. Cause then I’d get more trees 😂

It depends on how badly my executive dysfunction is doing. If I really need to clean, but only want to play video games I give myself 30 min on, 30min off.

Yea I don’t get it.

I’m more like a hypercar stuck in 6th gear. Slow off the mark, but once I get going don’t fkn stop me Caus the brakes are good and I’ll still be slow off the mark 😂😂😂

Oh me too. I am a firm believer in The One Thing, which is very much the opposite. It allows me to take advantage of hyper focus.

Same here. What is most difficult for me is not forcing myself to keep studying for 1-2 hours but getting back to studying after a break.

I know what you mean. There are times that I have found it to work well. Other times it is 25 minutes of struggling to get myself to work, followed by 5 minutes of rest (so, 30 minutes of not working). On other occasions it is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a sudden, forgotten and so unexpected and disorienting order to stop that risks breaking the flow and putting me back into an unfocused place.

In some ways my relationship with the pomodoro method reflects my relationship with most approaches to productivity: inconsistent and conflictual. Keeping diaries is a great idea, until I rediscover my tendency to inaccurately estimate how things will take and/or erroniously schedule things in the wrong month, or at 2am when I meant three in the afternoon or something. Over time, my diaries end up a hot mess of increasing amounts of incomplete and rebooked tasks, double booked appointments and who knows what else. The work involved to manage the diary expands until I start paying more attention to my diary or calendar than the work it was supposed to be organising. Then, clear it all, destress for a moment and rinse and repeat.

It means tomato in Italian, because the guy was using a type of kitchen timer shaped like a tomato that's been around for ages. You can still get them on Amazon.

I believe the main theme here is to get you going. You don't have to stop at 20 if you don't want to. If you are already in the flow/zone you really don't want to stop.

If you are gritting your teeth and forcing yourself each minute, stop at 20, give yourself a break.

Thats my take anyways.

I like 50/10. 25 is too short for me. Breaks momentum.

It's usless to me. If I really can't start a task, saying I only have to do it for X minutes doesn't help at all. And if I can start, I'll go until I naturally stop. Having a break would just throw me off again.

I've used the Pomodoro technique from time to time, and it's been working for me for a while each time. But I run into the same problem - once I get to the break, I always end up skipping them. "What? A break, now? No I'm working, leave me alone! Go away"

Same. Pomodoro timers don’t work for me. It takes significant effort to get into a flow state and I don’t want it broken by a timer. Maybe they make more sense for repetitive tasks with low mental loads? Racing a timer to put laundry away is much different than rushing to write a paper or proposal before it goes off.

I hate it as well.. I get that feeling of being told what to do and then suddenly I don’t want to do it. if i’m doing that technique, I feel like i’m being forced therefore i’m going to sit there in protest? i’ll stare at the wall and get lost, and by the time I’m ready it’s been like 10 minutes.

its extremely annoying! why is my brain repelling it so badly ughhh

Lots of people here have said it just doesn't work for us. I tend to agree. My 25 minutes is ... decent. the 5 minute break becomes 85.

i do 35/15. sometimes during the 15 i’ll work on another project (that i actually want to do).

I tend to take all work on one go, I get in the flow and work for long hours in a task, however the issue is that I end up working on the unimportant details and spend hours on it and lose track of time on what I need to really focus on. this 25 mins ring and break helps me replan and get back into execution. I still fail at it and ignore these breaks and again work on the unessentials more than what matters.

I came up with my own, imperfect technique. I use albums. I'll estimate how long I want to spend on a task and find an album that matches that time. Then I work while the album is playing and pause once the album comes to an end. I think the reason it works for me is because it makes the break point feel natural as opposed to arbitrary. I still don't have a good solution for how to structure the pause, but I do find it helps me concentrate while the album is playing. I know this wouldn't work for everyone, but since music has always helped me concentrate, I find it makes a big difference.

It takes us 20 minutes to get to to the flow which is why I normally do sessions that 40-45 min long. (and take 10 min breaks)

I agree for sure. With or without meds it doesn’t seem to improve focus or productivity during the focus time for me, and taking breaks disrupt whatever focus I managed to get so I need to start over to get focused again. 

Plus if I’m on meds, I often get too focused on whatever am doing for the break time and have trouble transitioning back to work.

For me personally, the thing that helps for more than any of these systems is increased external consequences and accountability, as often and immediate as possible. 

The franklin planner priority/planning system helps me somewhat alone make things happen (if I’m on meds), but it’s definitely waaay more effective when I have a manager I can share my priorities and deadlines with and if they check in/hold me to those regularly. 

Yeah when most of my procrastination comes from staring and stopping tasks Pomodoro has never worked.

I just wanna keep studying when i do or just keep resting and chilling the other time. The thing that work's for me is "deep work" for 2-3 hours. I try to do 2-3 sessions everyday and on lazy days only one. I'd put my phone away and tell my parents not to disturb. Sometimes it works and the other times I just procrastinate. The hardest part is " to Start" and after that Everything mostly goes smoothly.

Yes agree. Pomodoro technique can be quite hard as adhd people struggle to change ‘gears’. Try some external reminders such as an alarm. I would recommend using Toggl Track. It helps you to track time for the task at hand, and next time it remembers the task for you.

In Toggl Track they are called Projects. Try it out, it is free.

Yeah, absolutely not. If I'm gonna do something I'm going to finish it because if I stop there's a 50/50 shot I'm not starting again. I don't get breaks at work and often just do my job for 8-9 hours straight without pausing so I'm used to that work flow. Stopping constantly just makes my brain think what I'm doing isn't important enough to focus on and that's the opposite of what I need.

I get you, fully.

Like, I hate it when something interupts my flow. I hate it when im productive and im happy, but I *have* to do something else instead. I hate having to think myself into things to which I've lost the context.

I can however recommend trying to find positives in an approach like this and to try to use those positives in another way.

If I get going, I will not interupt myself. If i get hyperfixated I will forget other things. I will forget appointments, or even drinking or eating. I will be lost an not in the moment. If I work on things it's important that I try to ground myself at times. So that i get back to my own needs. Taking a short break and coming back to "reality" can be really beneficial to people with ADHD, so the thought of taking some breaks on a shedule isn't bad imo.

I've had times where I've had an alarm every hour and would just try to close my eyes and try to ground myself and think about what I and my body need. I would also take the alarm as a reminder and not as a chore. It's there to tell me: "Yo take a breather, a moment to think." Not to become additional stress. So I can do it 5 minutes later or also just skip some reminders entirely. But even then it has advantages and disadvantages, so think about what you want for yourself and why :)

I fully get the thoughts of having to do things, having to do the technique the way it's discribed and the want to fully commit on it. But brother, I think some times we don't give ourselves enough freedom (and sometimes too much). You got the agency to decide if you want to take 5 min breaks every 20 or 60 minutes. You got the agency to decide to skip it a few times if it's beneficial to you. You don't have to force everything and be perfectionistic. And I fully get that that is hard, a lot easier said than done. We don't have to clean our entire flats in one day. It's fine if we get distracted while cleaning our flats occasionally. We should treat ourselves well, at least as well as how we treat others. And it will get better :)

(And it probably has a name, because someone tried to be smart, tried to make something abstract work in very rudimentary steps and then released it as a technique or "how to". Despite it not being THE way, just an attempt to break something down)

I'd say a realistic list of to do shit is probably better. Not every task will command the same amount of time and attention. When I say realistic I mean what is possible not every single life goal needs to be accomplished today. If you keep knocking off those tasks regularly you'll feel a sense of accomplishment and control.

As a hyperactive impulsive person, my body needs break not my brain… once I get urge to pee when I am not done yet, i’m cooked for next few minutes to an hour cause now I can’t sit and have to exhaust my legs to sit down and this whole process trashes out all the info i took time to study for… after recent diagnosis my therapist said I should study while standing up if sitting goes uncomfortable. I got a white board so when I stand i solve my numerical there (engineering 🥲) and pomodoro for such state of mine is crap since its my body which needs longer regulation not my brain

Same. Hard same. If I take a break, I'm not getting back up at a specific time to do said thing. I try to work with my flow of energy. 5 minutes here, 15 minutes there

Same. I’d rather just focus and take breaks according to my own rhythm. Pomodoro is so disruptive. 

Agreed. Doesn't work for me at all.

I like it for tasks that take 25 or fewer minutes. Like I know each pomodoro, my job is to write one essay for each. However, doing a much longer task with the pomodoro technique with something like a past paper is alway counterintuitive to me cause it just breaks the flow of things and I get distracted in those 5 minute breaks that suddenly turn into hours

I like to watch movies on Tubi and when the ad breaks come on I do as much of a chore as I can in the few minutes it takes. Obviously I can't get a ton done at once but when it's basic chores or random tasks it's possible to get them done in a break or a few breaks.

I have mastered my own version of the Pomodoro - 25 min work, followed by 5 min break, followed by 2nd 5 minute break, followed by pee break, followed by 15 min work, followed by 2-5 hours of sleeping or video games, followed by panic and doing the thing for however long it actually needs to be done

I only use it in reverse when I have housework I don’t want to do. 40 minutes of tv/gaming whatever and 5 minutes of tidy. Then I slowly increase the tidying and decrease the fun.

It’s actually pretty great for me to get the kids to do chores that feel overwhelming but aren’t. They get 40 minutes of tech after they’ve done 5 of real work. Then they/we have to do 6 and 35. Then 7 and 30. If anyone wants to work longer, all the better. We’ve divided chores before starting so one kid isn’t stuck working if the other slacks. Usually before we get to 8 minutes of working both kids have decided to finish the work.

"Especially by a tomato". Haha! This gave me a snort laugh. Thank you.

I’m a big fan of setting work timers that don’t actually notify you once they’re done (I usually just use looking at the time) to set a minimum time I have to work but then I can go over as much as I want to until my next 15 minute break (or so). That way I can get into a flow but if it’s not happening I still get my break time when I “should”

I've found it to be effective, but with some significant alterations.

1. If I'm using it to get me off my chair and started on a larger project, I only time myself for a minimum, not a maximum. If I'm flowing with folding laundry, vacuuming, etc, I don't force myself to stop. I can always make up the break time later.

2. It's often more effective for me to use it to get a large list of small tasks completed, rather than larger tasks. I'm more likely to need the timers to start and stop, but I can accomplish a lot.

3. Adjust the time frames, for heavens sake. 25/5 is non starter for me, 5 minute breaks feel ridiculous and depressing. Most of the time I use 15/15; if I need more work time I just abandon the method and push through.

Especially by a tomato.

😂 Btw I don't like it either

I also hate the pomodoro technique but my understanding is that its purpose is to break up the distracted time so you don't go down a rabbit hole too deep. So if I'm distracted and commenting on Reddit or something, the alarm goes off and I "take a break" so that I break up the distraction. Then I come back and try to start working again. If I get into a flow, I don't need to take a break when the timer goes off. When I start getting distracted again, then I take the break.

The problem for me is that I just hit the button and keep on doing the distracted thing instead of taking a break because I'm likely in a flow state with the distraction... Once I'm there, there is little that can break me from it that is self contained so its useless.

for me personally, pomodoro (or adaptions of it) is for when i don’t have flow and i need to force myself to work/do the Thing but it feels painful! if i’m in hyperfocus, even though i know it sometimes isn’t healthy lol, i just let it take me until it reaches a natural end. the times i have done pomodoro and “interrupted” my hyperfocus though, i just thought about the Thing and what i’d do next the whole way through the break anyway, so it was almost like it hadn’t really been interrupted, just an excuse to make a new cup of tea and go to the bathroom 😆

I use it for things I absolutely dread doing. Like cleaning the garage or yard work. 

If i stop i won't come back to what i'm doing... so never doing that. I feel you have to have a lot of willpower to pull this off

It's different for everyone but it consistly works for me (when I remember to use it). Knowing I just need to get started on something for 20 minutes can break through my executive dysfunction, and once I start I can keep going.

I guess I have been doing it wrong, I will force my self to work on something for 5 minutes and if I wander after that then ohh well. But most of the time I settle in and finish. Having the 5-minute “escape hatch” is usually enough time for my brain to finish its tantrum and then I can get something done

I was late diagnosed about five years ago, but I had tried every typical method to help me focus, etc. before I even realized I had ADHD. I had actually used terrorizing myself for my first fortyish years to get things done, but that resulted in lots of burnout and a breakdown.

Here's what helped in the end. Flexibility. Trying to find work that gave me more flexibility to do things my own way, even if it paid less. I learned to listen to my energy levels and my sense of how much energy a task would take. When facing a total executive dysfunction wall, I would find something to do I liked doing. And if nothing in my work tasks fit the bill, I would do something I purely enjoyed. Because this is the secret I learned, at least for me. Doing that thing would do two important things for me. It would give back more energy than I put in, and it helped with providing a kind of mental momentum that, when I got to a good stopping place, could be redirected to tasks that were energy negative or neutral. Most of the time this worked to help me get the tasks done I truly struggled with. When it didn't, I would either go back to the enjoyable activity or find a new one.

To me, the most important thing was to try to work with my energy rhythms instead of constantly fighting them. I got better and better at sensing my energy levels and what I could work on and what needed to wait. Being able to accept that my brain didn't work like other people's and that I needed to trust my instincts more about what would work and what wouldn't was a game changer for me.

So much of what I see out there is about trying to fit our square peg into a round hole. I personally think it's more about knowing ourselves, so we can find what works for us.

In general, most corporations want cogs, conformity, but for people with my kind of symptoms, it was a march towards burnout every time. I didn't start thriving until I found a place that was flexible enough to allow me to focus on results, not how I got those results. We are different. But when we can tune into our own rhythms, that can end up being a strength.

I use it as more of a suggestion than something to follow. I go for 60 min increments. If I’m not where I want to be, I work through my break. I use my breaks to watch a YouTube video or eat/ snack on something.

I find it mostly useful when I’m struggling to focus because it makes me at least try and then I get a break from trying to focus before getting back to it.

It takes me 2 hours to prepare myself and then I can’t stop until it’s done. Whether it’s a Harry Potter book, cleaning the whole house, or building a whole ass bus stop for my kids. I have the hype myself up, for a while sometimes a day or a week or a few hours but once I start I’ll finish it before I can eat or sleep.

It works for me, but I don’t actually take a break. For the 5 minute segment I usually lie down, close my eyes and rest. Maybe meditate, sometimes listen to a single song. Then when the timer goes off I go back to the book. I have had a break from reading my textbook, but I haven’t gotten distracted by another activity. I also get a sense of accomplishment out of finishing a 25 minute block, which keeps me motivated. 

Things work for me until they stop working, and one reason is when my oppositional defiance disorder kicks up and rejects whatever system I've put into place. Pomodoro had it's day, maybe some day it will work again.

I ignore the breaks and try for hourly or two hourly intervals. Once I start a task I like to see it through and hate stop starting.

I instantly forget I am doing it. The timer goes off and I don’t notice it went off. I am no longer doing what I wanted and am back to normal chaos flow.

It doesn't really work for me either. Although I do like to trick myself into starting something/getting into the flow by saying I only have to do a little--and then once I'm in it, I just keep going. But yeah, it's not enough time for me, either the work time or the break time. I need long decompression times.

You know you could just... Skip one pause in case it took you too long to start focusing, right? That's what I do at least. Just knowing the timer will tell me when to take a break is enough for me to stop thinking about it while I'm working.

As for the name, I think that's because the guy who created the method used a tomato shaped kitchen timer.

It helps me to get started because „I only have to do 30 minutes“ then I do it for 4h Straight and I see that as a success lol

for me 2 hours work - 1 hour break is a good compromise

Keeping a timer on my phone was too distracting. I didn’t ever try with one of those mechanical ones.

I personally prefer the grapefruit technique.

I was thinking about this the other day! I tried it and then remembered that I struggle with transitions. I think having a limited time is helpful because it adds a little urgency (though my brain knows it's not real so this effect is limited - but I think still existent) and stops me from getting so sucked into a task that I completely exhaust myself. But the 5 minute breaks I think are not rejuvenating because each one adds 2 transitions.

None of these “methods” work for me esp at work bc it’s all made up, there is literally no tricking my brain into the urgency needed for task initiation if the situation isn’t actually urgent and very few situations in the corporate world are 😂

Same. I do about 1 hr with a 15 minute break

For me I just put an 45-60 min long ambient music video. Once the video finishes I have a small break and If I don't feel like having one another one starts playing. For me the perfect music for studying is stuff that loops but also has some instruments. Opening and starting the task is also part of the task so It's part of my 45-60 minute session.

Don't really know if this is considered Pomodoro but the real Pomodoro technique sounds like torture to me.

Setting a pomodoro timer helps me getting started. Will I ignore every alarm as soon as I'm in the flow? Absolutely. So, it kinda works. At least it worked for the one week I tried it and then never again.

Nice post for me—I am still learning. My experience is similar. It is hard for me to start, but once I lock in I can go for hours and hours. Any break forces me to restart.

What I find helpful is a reverse-pomodoro. I set a timer for 5 minutes if it goes off and I'm off task it reminds me to get back to work. If the frequency becomes annoying I increase the time, if I start getting off task with a longer time I decrease it.

I should really make an app to run that type of timer since as is the only way to do it is stopping the timer and restarting it which is multiple button presses (while that's usually not enough to break concentration for me it's one extra thing to check).

omfg same!! i hate when everyone is like “time your breaks” no. that doesnt help. bc all i do is think about how much time is left until the break ans then i dont end going back to working after the break. like it just doesnt work for me

i feel like the little 20 minute pockets of time are good to get me started (reduces friction/perfectionism), but when i get going, i want longer chunks of time (say 40-50 minutes). i've been thinking about hacking this using the timer on my phone -- 3-4 regular pomodoro, but when you hit 'flow', it switches to longer chunks of time so you can continue working without interruptions.

I had to look this term up, but I’ve been doing something similar for the last decade. I called it micobreaks. I would just quickly log into a game or browse twitter for a bit and then get back to work and it’s always helped me. I’ve never set a timer, though, I would just naturally disengage my brain whenever I’d start feeling fatigue.

The only time it’s become a hindrance is when I am already feeling very stressed overwhelmed and the “microbreak” turns into more of an extended vacation lol

It was also way more useful when the work I was doing was repetitive tasks rather than something I needed to engage my full brain in to concentrate on

I'm trying to connect with others who have ADHD but every post and comment I make gets taken down and I don't see how I'm breaking any rules. This comment is a test to see if it happens again... if it doesn't, does anyone think that maybe it's a problem with my profile or something?

I go by task. I have a hard time getting motivated to do chores and what not I break things down in to reasonable size tasks. Luke if I need to do the dishes its not like,

Task 1. Do the dishes.

I brake it down to more basic levels.

Task 1. Make sure the dishwasher is empty.

Task 2. Empty the sink.

Task 3. Load anything that doesn't need rinsed out or hand washed.

Task 4. Hand wash and load.

With that I will set a break point based on how Im Feeling for the day. Like do I need a 5 minute break after task 4 or 3. So I can feel I have completed something and not feel guilty about taking a break.

I like it because by the time the break comes I want to keep going and don’t take a break. If it weren’t the promise of a break soon I likely wouldn’t have started because I didn’t feel like it. It forces me to start knowing I don’t have to commit.

Yeah I’m either going to hyperfocus for 3+ hours or spend all day doing nothing. No in between.

I use the pomodoro method to get started, but if I'm in the flow when the timer says to stop, I just start the timer over and keep working. The work is a higher priority than the timer. I just use the timer to get started.

Pomodoro is the absolute worst fucking idea for managing ADHD and I will die in this hill. I am convinced that anyone who recommends it for ADHD either does not have ADHD at all or has such an extremely atypical presentation that they shouldn't be giving others advice about it anyway.

Momentum is everything. If I stopped working at arbitrary intervals and not when it's natural to do so, nothing would ever get finished.