time Intervals

You can set these in the first page of the options. (time intervals). We recommend to set up a short working interval (e.g., 45 min) and try to complete it without interruptions. In the image, the settings are 45 minutes for work and 10 minutes for rest. You can play with these values till you find a spot where you are most productive.

Clocks can be relative to each event (e.g., red will count time of the last interruption) or relative to the entire day (e.g., red shows total interruption time for the day). You can change this in the Clock type section. You can also alternate between the two modes using a keyboard shortcut.

Note: it’s a good idea to change the main counter interval according to the task you are performing. For example, writing an academic paper can be demanding; rests scheduled every 30 min can help. Lighter tasks, such as programming, can go on for a long time without a rest. In fact, often the rest suggestions appears as a distraction: one just doesn’t feel like doing it. If you follow Mark Forster’s advice, it’s best to always take the rest when scheduled, even if you don’t feel like. Leaving the task at hand incomplete will help you rest with the certainty that you will want to resume the task as soon as possible. If you take your rest at times when tasks are completed (a common practice) it’s a lot harder to get back to work.