Deep Work Timer
90 minute sessions for your hardest, most valuable work.
Tasks
Deep work — long, distraction-free concentration on a cognitively demanding task — is where your most valuable output comes from. This timer is preset to 90 minute focus sessions with 20 minute breaks, matching the natural ultradian rhythm many people experience: roughly 90 minutes of high energy followed by a dip that is best honored with real rest.
Press start, enter deep focus mode with the F key, and let the timer hold the boundary for you.
Why 90 minutes
Research on ultradian rhythms suggests alertness naturally cycles in roughly 90 minute waves. Working with that cycle — a full sprint followed by a genuine 20 minute recovery — tends to produce more sustained quality than pushing through fatigue.
Ninety minutes is also long enough to load a hard problem fully into your head. The expensive part of hard work is the ramp-up; fewer, longer sessions mean you pay that cost less often.
Protecting the session
A deep work block only works if it is genuinely uninterrupted. Silence notifications, close your email tab, and put your phone out of reach. Pomozen's deep focus mode fills the screen with just the timer and a slow breathing animation — no tasks, no menus, nothing to fiddle with. The 20 minute break afterwards is part of the method, not a reward: step fully away from the screen.
Frequently asked questions
What is deep work?
Deep work is a term popularized by Cal Newport for professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive abilities to their limit. It is the opposite of shallow, interruption-driven work.
Is 90 minutes too long for one session?
Not if the task warrants it and you take a real break afterwards. If 90 minutes feels like too much at first, start with 50/10 sessions and work up as your focus endurance builds.
How many deep work sessions can I do in a day?
Most people max out at two to four 90 minute sessions. Two solid sessions — three hours of deep work — is already an excellent day.