The Anti-Pomodoro Technique: Focus on Taking Breaks, Not Watching the Timer

I’ve never been able to maintain enough focus on a timer. The temptation to get distracted is always strong—and since it’s easy to ignore the timer, I often did.

After failing to follow the Pomodoro method, I’d feel irritated, frustrated, and blame myself. Soon enough, the routine would fall apart, and I’d go back to working in my usual way—without boundaries or timers.

Then I had an epiphany: focusing on the timer forces you into a battle with yourself. And since it’s hard to fight your own subconscious micro-reactions and habits, you end up frustrated. Sticking rigidly to a timer is the wrong goal. The real goal should be taking regular breaks—focus will follow naturally.

To test this idea, I created Black Screen — an app that forcibly blacks out my screens for a few minutes at regular intervals. Usually, that’s 3–5 minutes every 20–30 minutes.

This practice of enforced, regular breaks has not only improved my well-being but also dramatically boosted my productivity—all without the frustration. My ability to focus improved, too, with a small hack: I start with a 30-minute interval, then gradually shorten it until I find a span of time in which I can maintain clean, distraction-free focus.

I find this works better for me than the classic tier-based Pomodoro.

What do you think?