Focus Mode

<p><strong>Why this helps:</strong> The Pomodoro Technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, named for the tomato-shaped (*pomodoro*, Italian for tomato) kitchen timer he used as a student; it breaks work into focused intervals, classically 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. A 2025 scoping review of time-structured focus interventions reported that Pomodoro-style intervals consistently improved focus, reduced mental fatigue, and sustained task performance better than self-paced breaks. The technique's stated aim is to reduce the pull of internal and external interruptions.</p><h4>Setup screen</h4><p><strong>Focus Mode</strong><br>Work in calm, bounded stretches. You focus for a set time, then you rest, on purpose, before going again. This rhythm comes from the Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student.</p><p><strong>Choose your focus length</strong><br>[ 25 min (classic) · 15 min · 50 min ]</p><p><strong>Choose an ambient sound</strong><br>[ Gentle rain · Soft piano · Quiet wind · Distant chimes · Silence ]</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: Begin focus ]</span></p><h4>Session start (focus block begins)</h4><p>[ AMBIENT SOUND FADES IN OVER 4s ]<br>Your focus block has started. One thing now. Let everything else wait, it will still be there. If your attention drifts, no scolding, just bring it back. The timer is holding the time so you do not have to.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[ TIMER DISPLAY: counts down ]</span><br>[ SUBTLE LINE BELOW TIMER: "Stay with this one thing." ]</p><h4>Distraction tap (optional button: "Something came up")</h4><p>Note it in one line so your mind can let go of it, then come back. The thought is saved; you can return to it on your break.<br>[ TEXT FIELD: "Come back to..." ]<br>[ BUTTON: Saved — back to focus ]</p><h4>Focus block complete (chime, ambient softens)</h4><p><span class="srp-cue">[ GENTLE CHIME ]</span><br>That is one block done. Well done for staying. Stand up, look away from the screen, let your eyes rest on something far away. The break is part of the work, not a reward you have to earn.</p><p><span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: Start 5-minute break ]</span> [ BUTTON: Add 5 more minutes of focus ]</p><h4>Short break copy (5 minutes)</h4><p><strong>Break</strong><br>Step back. Roll your shoulders, breathe, get some water. Try not to fill this with a different screen. Let your attention go loose for a few minutes; that is what makes the next block possible.<br><span class="srp-cue">[ TIMER: 5:00 counting down ]</span><br>[ BUTTON: I'm ready, start the next block ]</p><h4>After four blocks — long break</h4><p><strong>Longer break</strong><br>You have completed four focus blocks. Take fifteen to thirty minutes now. Move your body, eat something, or simply sit and do nothing useful. You earned the right to stop pushing for a while.<br><span class="srp-cue">[ TIMER: 15:00 counting down ]</span><br><span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: Start a fresh round ]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: I'm done for now ]</span></p><h4>Session end summary</h4><p>You focused for <span class="srp-cue">[X]</span> blocks today, <span class="srp-cue">[total]</span> minutes of real attention. That is not a small thing. Whatever you did not finish will keep. Close the tab gently.<br><span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: Done ]</span> <span class="srp-cue">[ BUTTON: One more block ]</span></p><h2>Sources</h2><ul><li>Cirillo, F. — *The Pomodoro Technique* (technique developed late 1980s); overview via Pomodoro Technique official site and Wikipedia.</li><li>2025 scoping review on time-structured (Pomodoro) interventions and sustained attention/mental fatigue (reported in productivity-research summaries, 2025).</li></ul>