Flowtime Technique: A Pomodoro Alternative for ADHD (Without Breaking Flow)
Pomodoro helps some people—but for many ADHD brains, forced breaks can feel like punishment right when momentum starts.
Flowtime is a simpler alternative: you work until your attention naturally breaks, then rest on purpose.
What Flowtime is (in one sentence)
Work in a single focused block, stop when you naturally stop, then take a short break.
How to do Flowtime (step-by-step)
- Pick one task (one tab, one doc)
- Start working and start timing
- When you stop (distraction, fatigue, finished chunk), stop the timer
- Write down the work duration
- Take a break (start with 5–10 minutes)
- Repeat
The ADHD-friendly version (less tracking)
If tracking times feels like friction, do this:
- Work until you notice drift
- Take one intentional break
- Restart with a tiny “next step”
Use a canvas so you don’t lose the thread
Open your Free Session Canvas so your notes, checklists, and distractions stay in one place.
/free-session
Keep distractions from stealing your session
Capture, don’t chase.
Optional: add a sound boundary
If silence is too loud, put a steady background under your work.
When Flowtime beats Pomodoro
- Creative work (writing, design)
- Deep reading
- Any task where “getting into it” is the hardest part
Next step
If you prefer a guided 3-phase focus ritual instead:
/session