What is a Pomodoro?
A Pomodoro Timer
The term "Pomodoro" refers a technique that uses a timer to separate work into fixed intervals separated by short breaks. Each work interval (typically 25 minutes) is referred to as a Pomodoro after the tomato shaped timer originally used by their inventor, Francesco Cirillo. The plural of "Pomodoro" is "Pomodori" (following Italian pluralization rules).
For more detailed information on using Pomodoro technique to avoid distractions and increase productivity, visit the references listed at the end of this page.
Introduction to the Pomodoro Technique
The core concept of the Pomodoro technique is fixed periods of uninterrupted work without distractions, punctuated by fixed breaks. Although the specific numbers can be varied, the basic structure is:
- 25 minute periods of undistracted work on a single task at a time. Each work period is referred to as a single "Pomodoro," and the participant marks each successful Pomodoro to encourage uninterrupted work;
- Short breaks (3-5 minutes) after each Pomodoro; and
- A longer break (15-30 minutes) after each set of 4 Pomodori.
Fans of the Pomodoro technique find that it allows them to set aside distractions and that by measuring and rewarding uninterrupted work sessions, it tracks and encourages their productivity. Mr. Cirillo's website has multiple tools for getting started with this technique, including a blog and links to Cirillo's book detailing the entire Pomodoro technique.
Using Habitica with the Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro Habits for Single Pomdoro and Set
The simplest way to use Habitica to support the Pomodoro technique is to use a mechanical device like a kitchen timer or an electronic device to time each Pomodoro. Players then track their activity manually on Habitica with a combination of Habits, Dailies, and potentially Rewards.
Pomodoro Dailies
By creating a Habit for each completed Pomodoro and optionally a second Habit for each completed set, Habiticans can track how many Pomodori they complete in a day. After deciding how long they want each Pomodoro to be, users can create a Habit with only a positive check mark to record completed Pomodori, or may want to include a negative checkmark to record if a Pomodoro is interrupted or unfinished. Habiticans should consider setting the Pomodoro Habit difficulty levels to "trivial" to avoid distorting earned XP and gold, particularly if the tasks completed during Pomodori are also listed as separate Tasks.
Pomodoro Rewards
If desired, Habiticans can also create one or more Daily tasks to mark completion of a minimum number of Pomodori for the day, and/or Rewards to mark the short and long breaks.
Pomodoro Tools for Habitica
If you use the Pomodoro method, the following tools can help you integrate Habitica into your time-management routines.
Habitica Chrome Extension
Chrome Extension Pomodoro integration options
The Habitica Chrome Extension includes integrations for Pomodoro Tracker and Tomatoes, two websites that track Pomodori. Unfortunately, both integrations are currently subject to bugs that limit functionality. Specifically, while the Tomatoes integration is somewhat more functional:
- The Tomatoes integration functions, but increments the "combo Pomodoro" task once for each Pomodoro and does not increment the basic Pomodoro task at all.
- The Pomodoro Tracker integration correctly updates both basic and combo Pomodoro tasks once per appropriate task, but also creates one negative check on the basic task at the end of each task or break, which typically creates two inappropriate negative checks for every appropriate positive check.
Android Pomodoro Integration
Clockwork Tomato settings page
Users that track Pomodori on their Android device can automatically record their activity on Habitica using the Tasker-habitrpg JavaScript code.
In order to do so, install Tasker, a paid utility for Android devices that takes programmed actions triggered by phone events and configure Tasker to access Habitica's API interface using the Tasker-habitrpg JavaScript code At that point, it is possible to configure Tasker to trigger Habitica tasks automatically based on compatible Android Pomodoro timers such as Clockwork Tomato or Pomodroido.
For more information on using Clockwork Tomato with Tasker and Habitica, see Android Pomodoro Integration. For information on linking Pomodroido with Habitica, see Blnk2007's guide to intergrating Pomodroido here.
Integration with Ugo Landini's Pomodoro app for Mac
There is an AppleScript that you you can set to run on each completed Pomodoro in Ugo Landini's pomodoro app for Mac (github:):
curl -X POST https://habitica.com/api/v3/tasks/:taskId:/score/up -d \"\" -H \"x-api-user: ____your_value___\" -H \"x-api-key: ____your_value___\""
You can also replace "up" with "down" for cancelled timers. Get :taskId: by running the following command in Terminal, searching for your task name, and finding the "id" or "_id" of that task:
curl -X GET https://habitica.com/api/v3/tasks/user -s --compressed -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "x-api-user: ____your_value___" -H "x-api-key: ____your_value___""
Note that Ugo Landini's version is no longer in the App Store and hasn't been improved since 2013, so you may want to use Marta Kostova's fork, which is available in the Mac App Store as "Timer".
You can optionally add a 2nd line to the AppleScript like:
display notification "Thy long quest progresses" with title "Congratulatons!"
This script was created by Tom Ash, inspired by an earlier version by Ryan Deussing.
LordGrowl's Google Tasks and Habitica Webpage
One tool to assist in integrating Pomodoros with Habitica is an html sequence written by LordGrowl and explained in more detail in the Keep.
An example of the LordGrowl frames
Although the code does not assist in timing Pomodoros or breaks, it does place a player's Google task list in a frame to the left of the Habitica screen, allowing the player to assess what will need to be done next, and group their Habitica Tasks into Google Tasks divided into distinct pomodori. Players who do not use the Pomodoro method can use this functionality as well.