Kind of unrelated to the app, but wanted to share a related thought that's been useful to me over the years in case it's useful for anyone else.
I have pretty strong ADHD. Pomodoro and other time tracking techniques never really worked well for me long-term because they end up being associated with a lot of anxiety and self-shame as I used them, so I tend to stop using them as negative feelings build up.
Now I use them differently. I'll set the timer for 30 - 45 minutes and when it goes off I ask myself if I'm using my time in the way I intended. I try to ask it in a non-judgmental way and the answer is mostly unrelated to the process. Sometimes it's fine that I got off on a tangent; sometimes it's not. The goal is really just to be aware that time is passing and have built in moments where I'm conscious of how it's being used.
When I'm consistent about it (which isn't always), I find that I'm much more aware of how I'm actually using my time, which tends to lead toward naturally using it better but again, I try to separate the awareness from the tracking and planning.
I like that one because I enjoy the physical feeling of rotating it. I also like that the alarm is the light blue backlight flashing, which feels less aggressive and psychologically traumatic than my phone alarm.
That's also not to say pomodoro is bad for someone with adhd. I still use similar methods and I think there are techniques for being more successful with it that I wasn't employing. I just like to separate the time/task management from time awareness now and feel that it's useful for me.
To be honest, nothing really works for me except medications. like i have a spare smartphone that's running my pomodoro timer, but if it's a task that interests me i will blow past every 5min pause and anything else because im focused on the task that interests me on hours end, like i would program in my head while drive home, but if the task is boring that i don't want to do i can have 100 timers it would not help. like for example i have to fill a form and send it that would return me 17k in overpaid taxes i did not do it for last 4 months. there is X amount of those task that no amount of timers would help me do it. i fucking hate my adhd in that without medications im a zombie. the only thing that i can hope without medications is find interesting problems. that's also shit when you have a family because you cannot turn of, because you are dealing with the interesting problem all the time and it consumes you. my brain is great in resolving big challenges, but the worst at doing daily tasks.
Love this comment. I suffer from some of the same problems and feelings.
One weird thing that works me is playing reality TV in the background (love and hip hop, vanderpump ect). Seems to have really calming effect on my brain which lets me focus on work. I've realized over the years that my adhd is just suppressed anxiety in disguise and reality TV masks it.
MacOS can announce the time every 15, 30, or 60 minutes. I've used it in the past. It's kind of like a metronome for my day. I think I'll try turning it back on. :)
System Settings > Control Center > Clock > Clock Options
For me, The act of starting the pomodoro timer itself was the chore, I think being contextually aware of pomodoro timer was a drag to me.
So I fixed that by creating a butt triggered timer which starts when I sit on my chair and reminds me to get off the chair after 25 mins and triggers the break timer when I do. The whole process is un-attended and I didn't have to be aware of the timer at all.
Then I went overboard and built a game around it using WASM & what not[1] which defeated the whole purpose of me not having to be aware of the timer, So I again went back to the basics and built a new Simple Butt Mover[2] which I use regularly now with huge quality of life improvement.
P.S. Congratulations to OP for the launch of their Pomodoro timer.
I’ve been getting into wearing and collecting not that expensive wrist watches as a hobby to help feel more connected and aware of time and it’s been a great and enjoyable thing for me! Along the lines of you comment
No offense author, but what is specifically ADHD related in this timer? Actually I'd argue that it is ADHD unfriendly because it is in the web browser. So now I need to open a browser and hunt down one tab among hundreds, because as a ADHD person I tend to hoard them to process later and of course never do it.
There are also no notifications or sounds in your website (I may have nuked all browser notifications at some point, to combat asshole webdesign, and now I have no idea if that's a default setting).
The 100% expected scenario of how ADHD person would use your timer is open it, set up a timer, check it periodically if it has finished or not, happily get to first break, then setup second work period, forget about timer until 3 days later, and find it when cleaning up open tab. Close it forever. Source - this would be a fifth or so exact same pomodoro "app"-website I've tried and abandoned.
Absolutely, the ADHD version would be a physical egg timer you manually turn the dial on and can’t lose sight of on your desk. A digital representation would have to float on top of all other apps somehow.
Also, as you prob know, there are multiple free/FOSS native taskbar based pomodoro apps that really get out the way, what is the advantage of using a browser based on?
It's designed to be somewhere in view of the person using it. People with ADHD (myself included) struggle with time blindness and just starting tasks in general, so this helps with that (I hope) by:
a) making the start of your tasks just a simple press of a button
b) keeping your progress of time and your deadline right in front of you.
It's just another one of pomodoro apps that I made specifically for myself and wanted to share in case someone wants to use it as well :)
My company's IT bans installing anything outside of their software application management/installation application. All software goes through a laborious approval process.
As someone with ADHD, I think that simplicity is key when it comes to ADHD-friendly tools.
I love the the simplicity of the app. However, one feature that I think is particularly helpful for ADHD users is the option to play ambient sounds during the work sessions.
Haha love the URL. Great concept - will use. Just an idea, I get anxious looking at the time ticking like that. Maybe run the clock in the background but for the UI, show a color gradient slowing shifting as time winds down or something less harsh? Great job!
Pomodoro never has worked for me. The productive periods always seem to end just when I'm in a flow state and the short breaks aren't long enough to do anything really recreational and fun. I now just track my productive and procrastinating time and try to keep them somewhat in balance. For that I hacked together a trivially simple PWA at https://timeth.at/. That way I can chug along for as long as it's comfortable to do something useful without interruption, and also get to enjoy some procrastination time without feeling guilty. I just need a gentle reminder from time to time not to spend 8 hours straight binge watching some show or waste the entire game playing video games.
aren't pom's 20-25 min, not 60 min by default? the two green and blue choices are confusing, i didn't realize one was break and the other was work until i started a test session. Also the the time remaining should be displayed in the page title, so i can be in another tab and see it. The dark mode is nice
Longer Poms are (often) receommended for people with ADHD because starting tasks is a massive, dangerous hurdle. Stopping more frequently means starting more frequently. Longer Poms help.
To the fellow ADHDers out there: the Pomodoro timer is not what you think it is!
Until I got diagnosed, I thought Pomodoro to be "keep focused for 30 minutes, do not context-switch, do not get distracted" timer.
After I got diagnosed (thankfully a mild case) and started taking medications, the use of Pomodoro switched to "don't sit more than half an hour focused on one task without standing up, streching and getting some tea" mode.
You can use this phase switch to your advantage, to measure the degree of ADHDness and efficacy of medication.
This is one of the reasons I'm using skedpal. I just make the task longer and it reshuffles all my other tasks to make room. Not just good for adhd, I also have trouble with my boss being way too chatty and blowing up my time boxing.
Also since my tasks are on the calendar the 'what am I going to do next' decision paralysis is taken care of, and since they all occupy some amount of linear time they are real objects instead of just a virtual infinity list.
Yes... in my experience, flowtime is a much better approach for creative work. [1]
It's like an inverted pomodoro. Set a timer and track how long you work. When your work has a natural break (you pushed some code, etc.), pause the timer and take a break based on how long you worked.
I found a work/rest timer like yours work really well for me.
I use WorkRave which is free, available on all OSes and even locks keyboard for you after work timer is complete (with an option to postpone).
The best "app" I discovered is on my iphone, theres a count down timer. It works great. I do not know if android has a built in app, it's been years since I used one...
That's it, the biggest thing is having something by you/on you that works. I didn't know how to use the Clock app fully outside of different timezones/alarms. I was surprised there was countdown. You can extend continuously, so you can set 15 mins or 30 mins countdown and have it continue all day if you so desire.
It's pretty powerful, I wonder how many basic built in features of operating systems I completely miss - because, the clock app seems innocent enough, it's application is really unlimited.
Does this thing run in UTC? I'm in the Europe/Copenhagen timezone (currently UTC+2) and the web app shows a time two hours behind localtime (and my pc is having the correct time from NTP).
There was once a web app called maesure, which provides approximately the same thing. The website was closed short after its deployment. As one of the previous active users of the maesure app, I’m concerning if the app you’re developing will end up in the same situation.
Great project, but even better for other users - if you need something simple and bespoke, build it!
I love how the age of AI development is making whipping up an app like this for personal use more viable. I created a CLI study flashcard with progress tracking app in <30 minutes for my own purposes the other day.
i just wanna say i've been using this the last couple days and found it extremly useful!
i don't have diagnosed adhd but my dad does and i'm just too lazy (ha) to get an evaluation myself. for whatever reason, having this tool and knowing there's a break coming makes is much easier to stay focused for the working time.
The best timer, I feel, is Forest, though it doesn't actually intend to be a timer, but since I work on a laptop 24x7, it reminds me to focus on my task if I open YouTube or something.
doorhammer|2 years ago
Kind of unrelated to the app, but wanted to share a related thought that's been useful to me over the years in case it's useful for anyone else.
I have pretty strong ADHD. Pomodoro and other time tracking techniques never really worked well for me long-term because they end up being associated with a lot of anxiety and self-shame as I used them, so I tend to stop using them as negative feelings build up.
Now I use them differently. I'll set the timer for 30 - 45 minutes and when it goes off I ask myself if I'm using my time in the way I intended. I try to ask it in a non-judgmental way and the answer is mostly unrelated to the process. Sometimes it's fine that I got off on a tangent; sometimes it's not. The goal is really just to be aware that time is passing and have built in moments where I'm conscious of how it's being used.
When I'm consistent about it (which isn't always), I find that I'm much more aware of how I'm actually using my time, which tends to lead toward naturally using it better but again, I try to separate the awareness from the tracking and planning.
I personally use a physical clock like this one but I think using a website or clock is really personal preference: https://www.amazon.com/Hexagon-Rotating-Minute-Preset-Countd...
I like that one because I enjoy the physical feeling of rotating it. I also like that the alarm is the light blue backlight flashing, which feels less aggressive and psychologically traumatic than my phone alarm.
That's also not to say pomodoro is bad for someone with adhd. I still use similar methods and I think there are techniques for being more successful with it that I wasn't employing. I just like to separate the time/task management from time awareness now and feel that it's useful for me.
disiplus|2 years ago
dangwhy|2 years ago
One weird thing that works me is playing reality TV in the background (love and hip hop, vanderpump ect). Seems to have really calming effect on my brain which lets me focus on work. I've realized over the years that my adhd is just suppressed anxiety in disguise and reality TV masks it.
kayodelycaon|2 years ago
System Settings > Control Center > Clock > Clock Options
fblp|2 years ago
Abishek_Muthian|2 years ago
For me, The act of starting the pomodoro timer itself was the chore, I think being contextually aware of pomodoro timer was a drag to me.
So I fixed that by creating a butt triggered timer which starts when I sit on my chair and reminds me to get off the chair after 25 mins and triggers the break timer when I do. The whole process is un-attended and I didn't have to be aware of the timer at all.
Then I went overboard and built a game around it using WASM & what not[1] which defeated the whole purpose of me not having to be aware of the timer, So I again went back to the basics and built a new Simple Butt Mover[2] which I use regularly now with huge quality of life improvement.
P.S. Congratulations to OP for the launch of their Pomodoro timer.
[1] https://github.com/abishekmuthian/buttmoverWebApp
[2] https://github.com/abishekmuthian/simpleButtMover
unknown|2 years ago
[deleted]
snissn|2 years ago
rubicon33|2 years ago
Yizahi|2 years ago
There are also no notifications or sounds in your website (I may have nuked all browser notifications at some point, to combat asshole webdesign, and now I have no idea if that's a default setting).
The 100% expected scenario of how ADHD person would use your timer is open it, set up a timer, check it periodically if it has finished or not, happily get to first break, then setup second work period, forget about timer until 3 days later, and find it when cleaning up open tab. Close it forever. Source - this would be a fifth or so exact same pomodoro "app"-website I've tried and abandoned.
sizzle|2 years ago
chrisvalleybay|2 years ago
loloquwowndueo|2 years ago
You can convert the tab into a window and keep it visible :)
icosa|2 years ago
dotBen|2 years ago
Also, as you prob know, there are multiple free/FOSS native taskbar based pomodoro apps that really get out the way, what is the advantage of using a browser based on?
grzracz|2 years ago
a) making the start of your tasks just a simple press of a button
b) keeping your progress of time and your deadline right in front of you.
It's just another one of pomodoro apps that I made specifically for myself and wanted to share in case someone wants to use it as well :)
kawfey|2 years ago
Webapps like this are very useful to me.
diimdeep|2 years ago
quangpham|2 years ago
As someone with ADHD, I think that simplicity is key when it comes to ADHD-friendly tools.
I love the the simplicity of the app. However, one feature that I think is particularly helpful for ADHD users is the option to play ambient sounds during the work sessions.
I used to use https://asoftmurmur.com/ for ambient sounds but it's not a Pomodoro timer.
Just found http://pomoup.com/ yesterday on a Show HN post and it has everything I need.
warrendlee1|2 years ago
cglong|2 years ago
nhkcode|2 years ago
jstx1|2 years ago
globalnode|2 years ago
poisonarena|2 years ago
ryanklee|2 years ago
dottedmag|2 years ago
Until I got diagnosed, I thought Pomodoro to be "keep focused for 30 minutes, do not context-switch, do not get distracted" timer.
After I got diagnosed (thankfully a mild case) and started taking medications, the use of Pomodoro switched to "don't sit more than half an hour focused on one task without standing up, streching and getting some tea" mode.
You can use this phase switch to your advantage, to measure the degree of ADHDness and efficacy of medication.
tra3|2 years ago
Does anyone else get anxiety from watching the timer get close to 0 and not being nearly done with you've set out to do in the pomo?
jabroni_salad|2 years ago
Also since my tasks are on the calendar the 'what am I going to do next' decision paralysis is taken care of, and since they all occupy some amount of linear time they are real objects instead of just a virtual infinity list.
ParetoOptimal|2 years ago
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/FDCJ2BfAT9qJGrpFa/what-s-wro...
varispeed|2 years ago
What I learned to do is just work when I feel like it and so take the break - trust my instinct.
nvarsj|2 years ago
It's like an inverted pomodoro. Set a timer and track how long you work. When your work has a natural break (you pushed some code, etc.), pause the timer and take a break based on how long you worked.
1: https://medium.com/@UrgentPigeon/the-flowtime-technique-7685...
Zetice|2 years ago
bentt|2 years ago
Could you make a mode that is not 24hr but is 12hr am/pm? I find seeing 13:32 does not compute for my American brain.
balaji1|2 years ago
coolspot|2 years ago
[1] - https://workrave.org/download/
rootsudo|2 years ago
That's it, the biggest thing is having something by you/on you that works. I didn't know how to use the Clock app fully outside of different timezones/alarms. I was surprised there was countdown. You can extend continuously, so you can set 15 mins or 30 mins countdown and have it continue all day if you so desire.
It's pretty powerful, I wonder how many basic built in features of operating systems I completely miss - because, the clock app seems innocent enough, it's application is really unlimited.
duck|2 years ago
One thing I've wanted from a pomo timer is a simple way to mark the number of distractions I've had.
650REDHAIR|2 years ago
kseistrup|2 years ago
danstewart_|2 years ago
The site is showing the correct timezone for me on safari.
meatjuice|2 years ago
courseofaction|2 years ago
I love how the age of AI development is making whipping up an app like this for personal use more viable. I created a CLI study flashcard with progress tracking app in <30 minutes for my own purposes the other day.
23B1|2 years ago
It is simple, easy, effective, and the single best ROI of any app I have ever paid for.
Not affiliated with these guys, but this sh*t just /works/ for me.
LesZedCB|2 years ago
i don't have diagnosed adhd but my dad does and i'm just too lazy (ha) to get an evaluation myself. for whatever reason, having this tool and knowing there's a break coming makes is much easier to stay focused for the working time.
so thanks for creating and sharing! :D
anshumankmr|2 years ago
unknown|2 years ago
[deleted]
TurkishPoptart|2 years ago
fallat|2 years ago
TheBigRoomXXL|2 years ago
But the "let's get to work" button doesn't have enough contrast in light mode.
zhuowei18|2 years ago
robswc|2 years ago
joemazerino|2 years ago
nerdyadventurer|2 years ago
mzs|2 years ago
aquaVitae|2 years ago
tailspin2019|2 years ago
I also appreciate the dark mode.
arco1991|2 years ago
flir|2 years ago
make3|2 years ago
globalnode|2 years ago
shironononon|2 years ago
Well done, sir.
adr1an|2 years ago
asimjalis|2 years ago
nico|2 years ago
aaron695|2 years ago
[deleted]
angryhd|2 years ago
[deleted]
ParetoOptimal|2 years ago
grzracz|2 years ago