Free · No sign-up · Works in the background
Animedoro Timer
Study for 40 to 60 minutes, then watch one episode, about 20 minutes, as your break. Press Start and keep this tab open. It chimes when the episode can start, and again when it's time to get back.
Space starts and pauses. Esc skips a break. Want breaks without keeping a tab open? Peeka does this on your Mac.
How to use this timer
- Pick your study length and press Start. 40, 50 or 60 minutes. Line up the episode before you begin, so the break starts straight away.
- When it chimes, watch one episode. The break timer counts 20 minutes.
- When it chimes again, go back. Turn autoplay off, or the next episode will decide for you.
Animedoro at a glance
| Study | 40 to 60 minutes, ideally to a natural stopping point |
|---|---|
| Break | About 20 minutes: one episode |
| Created by | Josh Chen, a medical student who posts study videos on YouTube (Lifehacker's write-up) |
| Evidence | Not tested. Longer breaks do help more after demanding work |
| Good for | Studying, if you'd watch the show anyway. It turns it into a reward |
| Less good for | Anyone who can't stop at one episode |
Where Animedoro comes from
Animedoro was created by Josh Chen, a medical student, who posted a YouTube video about fitting a lot of studying and a lot of anime into the same few months. It's a Pomodoro variant: longer study blocks of 40 to 60 minutes, and instead of several 5-minute breaks, one 20-minute break to watch an episode.
Anime episodes run about 20 to 24 minutes, which is where the break length comes from. Any show that length works the same way.
Does it work?
Nobody has studied Animedoro itself. Two things are in its favour. The break is something you want, which makes it easier to start the next block. And a 2022 review of break studies found that longer breaks help more after demanding work, and studying is demanding.
The catch is honest too: an episode is a screen break, not an eye break. Watching on the same laptop keeps your eyes at the same distance for another 20 minutes. Watch on a TV across the room if you can, or spend the first 20 seconds of the break looking out a window.
Making the 20 minutes count
- Turn autoplay off before you start, on whatever you watch on.
- Sit somewhere else. The sofa, not your study chair.
- Look far away when the episode ends, before you go back to work.
- Skip the episode once in a while and take a walk instead.
Compare the rhythms
| Rhythm | Work / break | Good for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-20-20 | 20 min / 20 sec | Your eyes. Tiny breaks, often. | Open |
| Pomodoro | 25 min / 5 min, long break after four | Getting started, studying, work you've been avoiding. | Open |
| 50/10 | 50 min / 10 min | Lining work up with the hour and your meetings. | Open |
| 52/17 | 52 min / 17 min | Long focus with a break long enough to leave the desk. | Open |
| 90/20 | 90 min / 20 min | Deep work with a slow warm-up: writing, coding, design. | Open |
| Flowmodoro | As long as focus lasts / a fifth of that | Work where being cut off mid-flow costs you. | Open |
| Animedoro | 40 to 60 min / one 20-minute episode | Studying, with a show as the reward. | This page |
Want your own lengths? The break timer takes any work and break time.
Peeka for Mac
A browser tab can't tell when you're busy. Peeka can.
Peeka is a tiny ghost that lives on your Mac's desktop and does this timer's job without a tab to keep open. It gets sleepier as your break gets closer, so the break never takes you by surprise.
- Waits until you stop typing, so it never cuts you off mid-sentence
- Hides during calls, presentations and screen shares
- Dims your screen for 20 seconds and gives you something to look at
- Naps when you step away, and starts fresh when you're back
“I’m very impressed with your development. I hope that it takes hold and becomes a ‘go-to’ app for workplaces internationally!”
macOS 14 or later · then $19 once, no subscription · See how it works
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. It keeps time against the clock, so it stays accurate in a background tab, and it remembers where it was if you reload. If your browser puts unused tabs to sleep to save memory, pin this tab.
How will I know it's break time?
You'll hear a soft chime, and you'll get a desktop notification if you allow them. If the tab is in front, a dim blanket slides over the page and counts the break for you.
Does it have to be anime?
No. Any show around 20 minutes works the same way. Anime just happens to come in the right length.
How do I stop at one episode?
Turn off autoplay before you start, and let the second chime be your cue. If you keep watching anyway, switch to a break that isn't a show for a while, like a walk.
Is 20 minutes of watching a real break?
For your attention, yes. For your eyes, only if you watch from across the room. Look out a window for 20 seconds before and after.
Does it work on my phone?
It runs in any modern browser, but phones lock their screens and pause web pages, so it works best on a laptop or desktop.
Is it really free?
Yes. No sign-up and no ads. It's made by Sameed, who also makes Peeka, a Mac app that does the same job without a browser tab.