Deep Work Timer
Deep work is the hard, valuable kind: the analysis, the chapter, the architecture decision. It needs long stretches without interruption, and it does not fit into 25 minute slices. This timer runs 90 minute blocks with 15 minute breaks; for 60 or 120 minute blocks, with a free account you can set any length in the settings on the main pomodoro timer.
Use it for the two or three blocks a day that matter most, and let the rest of the day be shallow on purpose.
What deep work means
The term comes from computer science professor Cal Newport's 2016 book Deep Work. He describes it as focused, distraction-free work that stretches your abilities, and contrasts it with shallow work: email, meetings, logistics, anything you could do while half distracted. His argument is that deep work is becoming rarer just as it becomes more valuable, so the people who can do it have an edge.
Newport also notes that time for this kind of effort is limited. Citing research on deliberate practice, he puts the realistic ceiling at around four hours a day for experienced people, and less for beginners. A deep work timer is less about squeezing more hours in and more about protecting the few you have.
Choose a block length
| Block | Use it when |
|---|---|
| 60 / 10 | you are new to long sessions, or the task is mentally heavy (proofs, new code bases) |
| 90 / 15 | the default: long enough for a real run, short enough to stay sharp. See the 90 minute timer for the rhythm behind it. |
| 120 / 20 | you are already in flow on familiar work and want one long sitting, like writing a draft |
Two 90 minute blocks with a proper break between them is three hours of deep work, which is a very good day by Newport's standard.
Set up a deep work block
- Schedule it. Put the block in your calendar like a meeting. Newport's "rhythmic" approach, the same time every day, is the easiest to keep.
- Define the output. "Finish the results section" rather than "work on the paper".
- Remove the exits. Close chat and email, silence the phone, and put it out of reach.
- Write down stray thoughts instead of acting on them. Deal with the list on the break.
- End with a shutdown. When the last block ends, write where you stopped and what comes next. Newport calls this a shutdown ritual: it lets you stop thinking about the work until tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a deep work session be?
Most people do well with 60 to 90 minutes. Experienced people on familiar work can go to 120. If the last half hour of a block is consistently unproductive, shorten it.
How many hours of deep work can you do a day?
Cal Newport puts the ceiling at around four hours for experienced people, and less for beginners. Two or three focused hours is a strong day.
Is a deep work timer different from a pomodoro timer?
It uses the same idea of focus blocks and breaks, but the blocks are three to five times longer, so you get past the warm-up and stay in the work.
Related
- 90 minute timer the ultradian rhythm behind the default block.
- 50/10 timer shorter blocks for busier days.
- 52/17 timer a middle ground from time-tracking data.
- pomodoro technique where timed focus blocks started.