Pomodoro sucks, here's what works instead

Aathraey Shrikanth

Nov 2 • General discussion

If you still think Pomodoro is the key to productivity, bro, I’m telling you right now — you’ve been lied to.

All that 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off stuff?

Useless.

They sound productive, but they’re not built for you.

Because here's the thing, bro:

Your body already runs on a natural rhythm — it’s called the ultradian rhythm. It’s this built-in cycle that lasts about 90 to 120 minutes where your brain undergoes peak cognitive activity followed by a 20 minute trough.

Basically, your brain has 90-120 minutes of peak focus until it needs at least a 20 minute break or rest.

That means for about an hour and a half, you can lock in, bro. Full flow state.

And you’ve probably felt it before without realizing it.

Those days when you get lost in your work — two hours go by and it feels like what? Thirty minutes? That’s your ultradian rhythm and flow state at work.

And those moments afterward when your brain feels foggy or your eyes start to tire — that’s the dip. That’s your body saying, “I think it's time we take a break.”

I started following this rhythm about two years ago. I’d work with complete focus for just those 90 to 120 minutes — no distractions, no multitasking, nothing else. And after that, I’d just go outside. Sit in my backyard. Stare at the trees. Listen to the birds. Do nothing.

It sounds kind of stupid at first — but that quiet time in nature does something. It's active recovery — giving your mind space to breathe, to process, to recover.

And because of that, I’ve been able to get all my studying and homework done in just two hours a day.

The truth is, you don’t need timers to tell you when to stop. Your body already knows. You just have to listen to it, bro.

So forget Pomodoro, bro.

Follow your body's rhythm.

And watch how much deeper your focus gets.

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