Productivity methods
Flowtime: focus until it fades.
Start a timer that counts up, work until your focus naturally drops, then take a break sized to the work.
· 3 min read · 5 steps
- Credited to
- Zoë Read-Bivens
- Timer
- Counts up
- Breaks
- Sized to the work
- Best for
- Deep, uneven work
What it is and where it began.
The Flowtime technique is a variation on the Pomodoro technique without a fixed length. You start a timer that counts up, work on one task until your focus fades, and then take a break whose length depends on how long you worked.
Zapier credits the technique to Zoë Read-Bivens, who wrote it up as an alternative for people whose focus does not fit into 25-minute rounds [1].
The name nods to flow, the absorbed state the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described in his 1990 book Flow. Flowtime does not create flow, but it avoids a bell interrupting it.
How to do it, step by step.
Pick one task
As with Pomodoro, work on one task at a time.
Start a timer that counts up
Note the start time, or start a stopwatch.
Work until your focus fades
Stop when you notice you are rereading, drifting or reaching for your phone, not at a set time.
Take a break that fits the work
Longer work, longer break. A simple rule is about a fifth of the time worked, with a minimum and a maximum.
Write down what you did
Note the start, end and break. After a week you will see your own natural rhythm.
Who it suits, and its limits.
It suits you if
- Pomodoro's bell interrupts you just as you get going.
- Your tasks vary a lot in length and depth.
- You want to learn your own rhythm instead of following someone else's.
Where it falls short
- Without a bell it is easy to work for three hours without a break, or to stop after ten minutes.
- It needs some honesty about when focus has really faded.
- It is a newer, informal technique without research behind its specific rules.
Common mistakes to avoid.
Never stopping
Focus can fade without you noticing. If you have worked 90 minutes, check yourself.
Skipping the break
A break that fits the work is half the method.
Switching tasks mid-session
Count up on one task. A new task is a new session.
Not looking back
The notes show your rhythm. Without them Flowtime is just working until tired.
How to do it in thisflow.
Each step uses a feature that is in the app today.
A Flowtime rhythm built in
Pick Flowtime in the focus timer. It counts up from zero on the task you are on, until you stop it.
A break sized to the work
When you stop, thisflow suggests a break of a fifth of the time you worked, between 5 and 30 minutes.
Start from the keyboard
Press F on a task to start, and Shift+F to pause or resume.
See your focused time
thisflow shows how long you focused today and on which tasks, so you can see your own rhythm.
Questions and answers.
What is the difference between Flowtime and Pomodoro?
Pomodoro uses fixed rounds, usually 25 minutes, and a fixed break. Flowtime counts up, you stop when focus fades, and the break follows the time worked.
How long should a Flowtime break be?
There is no official rule. A common approach scales the break with the work. thisflow suggests a fifth of the time worked, between 5 and 30 minutes.
Who invented the Flowtime technique?
It is generally credited to Zoë Read-Bivens, who described it in a blog post as an alternative to the Pomodoro technique.
Is Flowtime better than Pomodoro?
Neither is better in general. Flowtime suits long, deep work; Pomodoro suits getting started and work in small pieces.
Sources
Numbers in the text, like [1], point to these sources.
- [1]Zapier: The Flowtime techniquezapier.com/blog/flowtime-technique/
More methods to try.
52/17 and ultradian rhythms
Where 52/17 and 90-minute work rhythms come from, and how solid the evidence is.
Pomodoro technique
Short, timed rounds of focus on one task, with a break after each.
Time blocking
Give each task a slot in your calendar, so the day has a plan.
Focus until it fades, then rest.
Free during the beta. Flowtime, Pomodoro, Deep work and 90/20 in one timer.