Focus and deep work
How to focus for longer and get more done: the Pomodoro Technique, deep work, time blocking, flow, distraction and the real cost of interruptions.
- A FocusFlight alternative for Windows, Android and webFocusFlight turns focus sessions into flights on iPhone. Flight does it in any browser. An honest comparison of platforms, features and app blocking.Read
- How long can you really focus?The 8-second attention span is a myth. What research really says about how long people can focus, why we switch so often on screens, and how to focus for longer.Read
- How to focus better: 12 habits that workWhy focus comes easily some days and not others, and twelve simple habits that set up concentration: clear tasks, fixed sessions, no phone, steady sound and real breaks.Read
- How to take breaks that actually recharge youNot all breaks restore focus. What research says about micro-breaks, nature, movement and phones, a break menu from one minute to twenty, and how often to stop.Read
- The 52/17 rule: work 52 minutes, rest 17The 52/17 rule comes from DeskTime's study of its most productive users. Where it comes from, how it compares with the Pomodoro Technique, and how to try it.Read
- Pomodoro alternatives: 6 focus intervals compared25/5, 50/10, 52/17, 90/20, Flowtime and the ten-minute start compared: what each focus interval is good for, its weak spots, and how to choose.Read
- The Eisenhower matrix, with real examplesUrgent or important? How the Eisenhower matrix works, where it comes from, worked examples for a developer, a student and a manager, and how to use it each week.Read
- Time blocking: how to plan your day in blocksTime blocking gives your important work a place on the calendar. How to block a day, an example schedule, and how it fits with timeboxing and the Pomodoro Technique.Read
- What is deep work? A practical guideDeep work is focused, uninterrupted work on something hard. What Cal Newport meant by it, how it differs from shallow work, and how to build a daily deep work block.Read
- Maker's schedule vs manager's schedulePaul Graham's essay on why one meeting can ruin a maker's afternoon. What the research says about interruptions, what meetings cost, and how teams fit both schedules.Read
- Ultradian rhythms and 90-minute focus blocksWhy so many people work in 90-minute blocks: the ultradian rhythm, what the research really shows, and how to plan a day of deep work in 90-minute sessions.Read
- How to focus when working from homeWorking from home trades the office's distractions for new ones. How to give work a place, a start and an end, tame the chat, handle noise and work in sessions.Read
- How to stop checking your phone while you workWhy the phone is so hard to ignore, what research says about notifications and attention, and ten practical ways to check it less while you work.Read
- Body doubling: why working beside someone helpsBody doubling is working with another person present, in a room or on a call. Why it helps people start and stay on task, and how to run a session.Read
- How to stop procrastinating: start with 10 minutesProcrastination is about managing feelings, not time. Why we put things off, why the ten-minute start works so well, and eight more ways to get going.Read
- How to get into a flow stateFlow is the state of total absorption in a challenging task. What Csikszentmihalyi found, the conditions that make flow likely, and how to get there more often.Read
- The real cost of context switchingEach switch between tasks costs minutes, and part of your attention stays behind. What the research says about context switching, and seven ways to switch less.Read
- Brown noise vs white noise vs pink noiseWhite, pink and brown noise compared: how they sound, how they differ, what research says about noise for focus and sleep, and which one to choose.Read
- Why it's so easy to focus on a planeNo notifications, an end you can see, nowhere to go and a steady hum. Why so many people do their best work on a flight, and how to get the same focus at your desk.Read
- The Pomodoro Technique, and when to bend the rules25 minutes of focus, a 5-minute break, and a longer one every four rounds. Where the Pomodoro Technique comes from, why it works, and how to adapt it for deep work.Read
Free tools for this
- Pomodoro timer25 minutes of focus, then a break. With a seat-belt chime.
- Deep work timer52/17, 50/10 or 90-minute blocks for deeper work.
- Context switching calculatorHow much focus your interruptions cost you in a year.
- Pomodoro calculatorHow many Pomodoros your tasks take, and when you'll finish.
- White noise generatorWhite, pink or brown noise, with a sleep timer.
- Airplane cabin noiseThe hum of an airliner cabin, recorded in flight.