Between three minutes and two hours. The right length depends on two things: how big the task is, and whether you are avoiding it.
The Timeboxing app does not ask for a number. It asks for a size. Each tier is a range, and the app rolls the exact minutes inside it when you start.
| Tier | Range | Feels like | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 to 6 min | A push | Send the email. Open the file. Put the shoes on. |
| 2 | 6 to 12 min | A warm-up | Read yesterday's notes. Outline. Tidy the desk. |
| 3 | 12 to 20 min | One task | A set of flashcards. One bug. Dishes and kitchen. |
| 4 | 20 to 40 min | A sitting | A page of writing. A problem set. A chapter. |
| 5 | 40 to 80 min | A session | A lecture's worth of revision. A workout. A design pass. |
| 6 | 80 to 120 min | A shift | An exam sitting. A long run. A feature, start to finish. |
When you can choose the exact minutes you negotiate with yourself: 25? 22? Maybe 18 today. A range ends the negotiation. You commit to “a sitting” and the clock decides whether it is 27 minutes or 36. It also stops the timer from becoming a target you play to; the number is not yours to game.
Breaks in the app are fixed, not rolled: 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. Pick the one you mean to take, and each minute you use earns 0.40 Exp. Start the next block early and the break simply ends. A 5-minute break after a Tier 3 and a 20-minute break after a Tier 5 is a reasonable default.
For the routine around the blocks, see how to timebox your day.