Deep Work
Make deliberate room for demanding work, with routines that protect your attention.
In Tend One question before the timer, a useful stopping point, and Quiet view. These prompts are our adaptation.
Book & publisher’s introduction ↗GIVE ONE THING YOUR ATTENTION
One question.
Go deeper.
You don’t need the whole answer.
Just a place to begin.
FOCUS SESSION
SETTLE IN25:00one question at a time
25 minutes of focus, then 5 to breathe. [3]
Showing up counts. So does coming back.
0 sessions today0 minutes tended
A THREAD TO COME BACK TO
Your notebook.
Keep the question, the small discoveries, and the next step.
A direction you can revise. An unresolved question can be progress, too.
This week, gently
Your first session belongs here.
Session notes
Timer minutes record elapsed sessions, not attention or research quality.
Parked thoughts
Nothing parked. There’s room when you need it.
THE IDEAS BEHIND THE PRACTICE
Rooted in something.
Books offer approaches. Studies offer evidence. Here’s what each contributes.
Tend combines a focus timer with original research prompts. The specific interface, weekly result, and three-question reflection are our adaptations; the sources below have not validated this app.
Slow Productivity
Reduce simultaneous commitments, allow a sustainable pace, and give worthwhile work sustained care.
In Tend One intended weekly result instead of a growing list of competing projects. This is our adaptation of Newport’s approach.
The author on the book’s principles ↗The Pomodoro Technique
Choose one activity, use work intervals and breaks, and observe interruptions and actual effort.
In Tend A 25/5 starting rhythm and a longer break after four full sessions. Custom rhythms are available. The method is broader than a timer; 25/5 is not established here as universally optimal.
The creator’s explanation ↗Make an if–then plan
The authors’ meta-analysis found that specifying when and how to act can support goal attainment across studied settings.
In Tend An optional plan: if you drift, jot down the thought and return. This particular distraction prompt was not tested in the cited analysis.
Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement ↗Author-hosted paper (PDF) ↗Breaks are part of the work
Across 22 study samples, short breaks had small beneficial effects on energy and fatigue. The overall performance effect was not statistically significant; demanding work may require longer recovery.
In Tend A reminder to step away and adjust your break to your needs. This study does not establish the app’s presets as optimal or promise better research performance.
“Give me a break!” — read the open-access paper ↗Independent app by Houfu Chen. No affiliation with or endorsement by the authors. Summaries are paraphrases; book text is not reproduced.