PomodoroWho should use 50 and 10
Some work has a long warm-up. Before you can write the next part of a program, you must hold the surrounding code in your head. Before you can continue an essay, you must re-read where the argument stands. With a 25 minute round, a large share of the time goes on loading the problem, and the bell arrives soon after you begin to move. A 50 minute round gives the same warm-up a much longer useful stretch behind it.
It often suits:
- Programming and debugging.
- Writing reports, essays and long answers.
- Mathematics and physics problems that run over a page.
- Accountancy problems such as final accounts, where one question can take most of an hour.
- Design, analysis and research reading.
It suits less well for memorising, for routine practice and for tasks you dread, where the short promise of 25 minutes is easier to keep.
The ratio stays the same
Fifty and ten keeps the same proportion as 25 and 5: five parts of work to one of rest. Do not be tempted to keep the long round and shorten the break. After 50 minutes of real concentration, a full ten minutes away from the desk is what makes the next round possible. Walk, stretch, drink water, look into the distance. The breaks page lists what helps and what does not.
How a day looks
On this page the long break comes after every four rounds, like the classic method, and is set to 30 minutes. Many people prefer to take it after two or three long rounds; change the "long break after" number in the settings to suit you.
| Rounds | Focus time | Clock time with breaks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 min | 50 min |
| 2 | 1 h 40 min | 1 h 50 min |
| 4 | 3 h 20 min | 3 h 50 min, then the long break |
| 6 | 5 h | about 6 h 10 min |
Keep the rules
A longer round is not a looser one. One task, named before you start. No messages, no second tab. If you are pulled away, the round is cancelled, and a cancelled 50 minute round hurts more than a 25 minute one, which is one more reason to put the phone in another room. At the bell, write one line about what comes next, and go. For more on long concentration, see deep work and flow.
Questions people ask
Is 50/10 better than 25/5?
Neither is better in general. Longer rounds suit work with a long warm-up, such as coding and writing. Shorter rounds suit revision, routine practice and tasks that are hard to start.
How many 50 minute rounds can I do in a day?
Four to six is a full day for most people, which is about three and a half to five hours of focused work.
Other timers
Guides
An independent site. The method described here was created by Francesco Cirillo, and Pomodoro Technique is his registered trademark. This site is not connected with him or his company. The timer is free, needs no login and keeps your settings and counts only in your own browser.