52/17 Timer
The 52/17 rule says to work for 52 minutes and then rest for 17. The timer above runs it on repeat, with no long break, because the rule does not have one: every break is 17 minutes.
For the longer 112/26 ratio from the same company's 2021 follow-up, with a free account you can set any length in the settings on the main pomodoro timer.
Where 52 and 17 come from
In 2014 the time-tracking app DeskTime looked at the work patterns of its users and singled out the most productive tenth. What those people had in common, it reported, was not longer hours but a rhythm: about 52 minutes of focused work followed by about 17 minutes away from the computer.
In 2021 DeskTime repeated the analysis and found the ratio had stretched to roughly 112 minutes of work and 26 of rest, which it linked to the shift to remote work. Both ratios spend roughly a fifth to a quarter of the working time resting.
Read it as an observation, not a law. The data describes what productive people happened to do, which is correlation. It does not show that switching to 52/17 will make you more productive, only that it is a rhythm that productive people settled into.
What makes 52/17 different from a pomodoro
| Pomodoro | 52/17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Work block | 25 minutes | 52 minutes |
| Break | 5 minutes, 15 to 30 after four | 17 minutes, every time |
| Blocks in a 9 to 5 day | around 14 | around 7 |
Fewer, longer blocks mean fewer switches, which suits work with a slow warm-up: writing, analysis, design. The longer break is the other half of the deal. Seventeen minutes is enough to walk outside, eat something or have a real conversation, which a five minute break is not.
Making the 17 minutes count
- Leave the desk. The rest in the original data was time away from the computer, not time on another tab.
- Move. A short walk is the easiest way to come back sharper.
- Do not start anything with momentum. A 17 minute break is a bad time to open email or a group chat that will still be pulling at you when work resumes.
- Come back on time. The ratio only works if the break ends. Turn on auto-start in preferences and let the timer decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 52/17 rule?
Work for 52 minutes, then take a 17 minute break, and repeat. It comes from a 2014 DeskTime analysis of its most productive users.
Is 52/17 better than 25/5?
Neither is better in general. 52/17 suits work with a long warm-up, like writing or analysis. 25/5 suits short tasks and days with many interruptions.
What is the 112/26 rule?
DeskTime's 2021 update to the same analysis, which found its most productive users working about 112 minutes before a 26 minute break.
Related
- pomodoro technique the 25/5 method this is usually compared with.
- 50/10 timer a similar block with a shorter break.
- deep work timer for blocks of 90 minutes and more.
- 25/5 vs 50/10 vs 52/17 which rhythm fits which work.