Writing hack: Experiment with work and break intervals

This summer, I tried using the Pomodoro technique to work on a couple of writing projects. At first, it was really helpful to do short poms (10 minutes long) to get into the writing process again after the end of the semester craziness when I wasn't writing at all. The 10 minute poms got me into writing again and after a few days I switched to 25 minutes writing with a 5 minute break, which is the pomodoro technique. After weeks of pomming, I found that just as I was getting in the groove, the timer would go off. I would force myself to take a 5 minute break. It felt too short and I was reluctant to get back to it. I felt like it would have been easier to just keep going when I was already in the groove. Then I read this article and decided to try working for longer sessions before I took a break. I didn't make it to 52 minutes, but I found that 45 minutes is a happy place for me to take a break after steadily writing, and it also gives me a hefty 15 minute break, which is so much more satisfying than the 5 minute break (which goes by before you know it, and doesn't really feel like a break). Now, I'm enjoying my writing sessions much more and making progress on the projects I'm working on. I'm amazed at what a difference this tiny hack makes in my day. What about you? What kind of time blocks do you work in?

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