Work / Break Timer
Focused work blocks with automatic breaks and an audible alarm.
WORK
Status message
PAUSED
25:00
Session: 1
Completed: 0
Target: ∞
Tip: browsers often require a user gesture before allowing sound. Starting the timer primes audio.
How to use
- Durations accept very small values (e.g., 0.05 minutes). The timer resolves durations to the nearest second.
- Apply durations updates the current phase duration when paused (to avoid mid-count surprises).
- Auto-start is enabled by default: phases will roll over automatically and keep running.
- Skip always advances phases:
- Skipping during WORK can optionally increment Completed (“Count Work on Skip”).
- Skipping during BREAK simply jumps to WORK.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Space Start / Pause
- R Reset
- N Skip
- S Stop alarm
Why work/break cycles help (educational)
Long, uninterrupted “time-on-task” tends to produce a vigilance decrement—performance and attention drift as you grind. Short, structured interruptions can help reset task goals and reduce this drop-off.
What this timer is doing
- Protects deep focus: you commit to a bounded window where the only job is to stay on-task.
- Forces micro-recovery: breaks are short enough to avoid context loss, but long enough to reduce fatigue.
- Encourages spacing: splitting effort into multiple episodes is associated with better long-term retention for learning tasks.
Practical guidance
- If your work is cognitively heavy, start with 25–35 minute work blocks.
- If you’re already in flow, try 45–55 minutes with 8–12 minute breaks.
- Use the long break every 3–5 work sessions to avoid cumulative fatigue.
References (for the curious)
| Ref | What it supports | Source |
|---|---|---|
| [R1] | Distributed/“spaced” practice advantage across many experiments | Cepeda et al., 2006 (meta-analysis) — PubMed: 16719566 |
| [R2] | Brief mental breaks can reduce vigilance decrement in sustained tasks | Ariga & Lleras, 2011 — PubMed: 21211793 |
| [R3] | Review of vigilance decrement and enhancement techniques | Al-Shargie et al., 2019 — PMC: PMC6721323 |
| [R4] | Rest/task interruptions as a benefit to vigilance performance | Helton & Russell, 2015 — Cognition (abstract): S0010027714001929 |
| [R5] | Spacing guidance for learning in educational contexts | Carpenter, 2012 (ERIC PDF): ED536925 |
Note: This timer is a productivity aid, not a medical device. If you experience headaches, dizziness, or significant distress during focus work, stop and reassess your workload and environment.