Focus Timer
A structured focus session
The Focus Timer is built for ordinary single-task work that benefits from a clear boundary but does not need a very long uninterrupted session. Its default is a 50-minute focus period followed by a 10-minute break, with three focus rounds before the longer break.
Those defaults are practical starting points, not a rule about human attention. Change them when the task is smaller, when your day is fragmented, or when a longer block makes it harder rather than easier to begin.
Define the finish before you start
Give the block one concrete outcome: finish a section, review a document, clear a defined queue, or solve a specific problem. If another task appears while the timer is running, write it down and return to it after the block instead of turning one interruption into a new workstream.
A useful focus block has a visible finish. “Work on the report” is vague; “draft the introduction and first two sections” is measurable. That distinction makes the timer a boundary for a task rather than a counter of time spent near a task.
Use the break deliberately
Use the break as an actual change of activity where possible. Stand up, move, get water or look away from the screen rather than opening another demanding tab and calling it rest.
If the work is flowing when the alarm sounds, finish the sentence, calculation or other natural stopping point, then stop. The timer is there to control scope and attention, not to make you abandon useful work in the middle of a thought.
Questions people ask
How is this different from the deep work timer?
The Focus Timer starts at 50 minutes with three work rounds; Deep Work starts at 90 minutes with two. Focus is the more moderate default for everyday single-task work, while Deep Work is set up for fewer, longer blocks. Both are adjustable.
What if I need to check something quickly mid-block?
Write the item down and decide at the end of the block whether it still needs attention. If it truly cannot wait, pause intentionally rather than pretending the interruption did not happen.