30 minute Pomodoro timer
The 30/10 Pomodoro timer, 30 minutes of work and a 10-minute break, is a small change from the classic 25/5, and it changes how the break feels. 5 extra minutes of work is barely noticeable. 5 extra minutes of break is the difference between glancing at your phone and actually getting up, making tea, and sitting back down with a clear head. After 4 rounds the break stretches to 20 minutes.
The 30 minute block is still short enough to start without dread, which matters when the task is one you have been putting off. 3 rounds fill exactly 2 hours, including the breaks, so it fits a morning or an evening without leftover time.
This interval suits people who find 25/5 slightly frantic, and anyone for whom a 5-minute reset is not really a reset. It is not the right choice when a task needs a long uninterrupted stretch, such as a timed practice exam or a piece of writing that needs a full argument built in one sitting. Move to 50/10 or 90/20 for that.
Questions
is 30 10 better than 25 5
Neither is better on the evidence. 30/10 gives you a longer break relative to a slightly longer block, so pick it if 5 minutes never feels like enough rest. If you like the rhythm of 25/5, there is no reason to change.
how long is the long break on 30 10
20 minutes, after every fourth block. 4 rounds of 30/10 with that long break come to 2 hours and 50 minutes, roughly a half day of work with the rests built in.
what can you get done in 30 minutes
One section of a problem set, a chapter of reading, a first draft of a short email sequence, or a full inbox triage. The block is long enough to finish something small and short enough that you rarely get stuck in it.