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Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

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Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#11
Nice job with this! I love the clean/minimum interface. It doesn't seem to chime or notify when done? How do you use it to know when time has run out?

One thing I've wanted from a pomo timer is a simple way to mark the number of distractions I've had.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#12
post #3

What makes this ADHD friendly? Also, as you prob know, there are multiple free/FOSS native taskbar based pomodoro apps that really get out the way, what is the advantage of using a browser based on?

It allows to set 0 minutes work, and just doing breaks all day.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#13
post #7

Nicely done. Does anyone else get anxiety from watching the timer get close to 0 and not being nearly done with you've set out to do in the pomo?

Same, I can't use pomodoro technique because it creates anxiety without actually helping in anything.

What I learned to do is just work when I feel like it and so take the break - trust my instinct.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#14
aren't pom's 20-25 min, not 60 min by default? the two green and blue choices are confusing, i didn't realize one was break and the other was work until i started a test session. Also the the time remaining should be displayed in the page title, so i can be in another tab and see it. The dark mode is nice

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#15
post #7

Nicely done. Does anyone else get anxiety from watching the timer get close to 0 and not being nearly done with you've set out to do in the pomo?

This is one of the reasons I'm using skedpal. I just make the task longer and it reshuffles all my other tasks to make room. Not just good for adhd, I also have trouble with my boss being way too chatty and blowing up my time boxing.

Also since my tasks are on the calendar the 'what am I going to do next' decision paralysis is taken care of, and since they all occupy some amount of linear time they are real objects instead of just a virtual infinity list.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#16
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's designed to be somewhere in view of the person using it. People with ADHD (myself included) struggle with time blindness and just starting tasks in general, so this helps with that (I hope) by: a) making the start of your tasks just a simple press of a button b) keeping your progress of time and your deadline right in front of you. It's just another one of pomodoro apps that I made specifically for myself and wa…

A suggestion I have (as a time-blind ADHD person): try to hijack the browsers’ Picture in Picture mode, or display a timer icon in the window bar or tab favicon. Unless you keep your browser tab open, you can’t see it. A “gauge” icon in the browser bar would be enough to actually be in view without being distracting. Repackaging as a plug-in would give you a tab-free icon.

Screen-level overlays work nicely if you can take the native route (or use sth like Tauri). I have a goat showing up on the screen at random intervals and telling the to slow the fuck down when I speak:

https://twitter.com/rafalpast/status/1272945933228167169

For time management I'm using Be Focused (always visible + sound cues)

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#17
post #9
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My company's IT bans installing anything outside of their software application management/installation application. All software goes through a laborious approval process. Webapps like this are very useful to me.

My employer’s IT policy is to require asking for permission to access a laptop’s administrator account, and have the sysadmin audit the log. Unfortunately, as part of my special duties, I need to run an operating system that is not compatible with this framework.

> Unfortunately, as part of my special duties, I need to run an operating system that is not compatible with this framework.

Sadly the answer my employer has in that case: buy a VMWare Workstation License in the store and use you special snowflake OS in there. Still better than nothing but also a bit annoying.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#18
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's designed to be somewhere in view of the person using it. People with ADHD (myself included) struggle with time blindness and just starting tasks in general, so this helps with that (I hope) by: a) making the start of your tasks just a simple press of a button b) keeping your progress of time and your deadline right in front of you. It's just another one of pomodoro apps that I made specifically for myself and wa…

A suggestion I have (as a time-blind ADHD person): try to hijack the browsers’ Picture in Picture mode, or display a timer icon in the window bar or tab favicon. Unless you keep your browser tab open, you can’t see it. A “gauge” icon in the browser bar would be enough to actually be in view without being distracting. Repackaging as a plug-in would give you a tab-free icon.

Yes, time display in the window title can be nice. I made a simple web app for a similar purpose, that demonstrates the technique:

http://pclock.github.io/

based on an old flash app: https://davidseah.com/2007/01/a-chindogu-clock-for-procrasti...

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#19

aren't pom's 20-25 min, not 60 min by default? the two green and blue choices are confusing, i didn't realize one was break and the other was work until i started a test session. Also the the time remaining should be displayed in the page title, so i can be in another tab and see it. The dark mode is nice

Longer Poms are (often) receommended for people with ADHD because starting tasks is a massive, dangerous hurdle. Stopping more frequently means starting more frequently. Longer Poms help.

Re: Show HN: ADHD-friendly Pomodoro web app

#20
post #7

Nicely done. Does anyone else get anxiety from watching the timer get close to 0 and not being nearly done with you've set out to do in the pomo?

Yes... in my experience, flowtime is a much better approach for creative work. [1]

It's like an inverted pomodoro. Set a timer and track how long you work. When your work has a natural break (you pushed some code, etc.), pause the timer and take a break based on how long you worked.

1: https://medium.com/@UrgentPigeon/the-flowtime-technique-7685...

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