Time is money! In fact, time is much more valuable than money!! There are so many apps, tools and utilities have been invented for tracking and managing time effectively. One such time tracking app is Solanum. Solanum is a pomodoro timer for GNOME desktops. It uses Pomodoro technique which helps you to eliminate internal or external distractions and stay focused on the task and more productive. Solanum is a free and open source utility released under GPLv3.
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What is Pomodoro technique?
The Pomodora technique is a popular time management method developed by Italian author and developer Francesco Cirillo. The Pomodoro technique suggests 25 minutes of working, following five minutes break.
This technique is so simple yet very effective!
- Pick a task that you want to accomplish.
- Set a time for 25 minutes and start working.
- When the timer rings, stop the work and take a short break (usually 3 to 5 minutes).
- After the short break, go to step 1 and repeat the process.
- After every fourth break, take a longer break (15 to 30 minutes).
Each time interval is known as pomodoro, an Italian word for Tomato. In the break time, you can go for a short walk, drink water, stretch the legs, do some simple exercises, grab a cup of coffee, or review the work you just completed. Just make sure the break time is stress-free and helps you feel refreshed.
Not just for work, you can apply this technique to other tasks such as studying and writing as well. Many time management apps are inspired by the Pomodoro technique. Solanum is one of them.
Install Solanum Pomodoro Timer App On Linux
Solanum is available in flatpak format. So you can install it on your Linux desktops using flatpak command line utility. If you haven't installed flatpak yet, refer the following link:
After installing flatpak, run the following command to install Solanum on your Linux desktop using command:
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.SolanumTrack time using Solanum pomodoro timer app on GNOME desktops
Launch Solanu either from Dash or from terminal by executing the following command:
$ flatpak run org.gnome.SolanumSolanum interface is very simple! It has only two buttons. The first button ( green color play button) is start to the pomodoro (i.e. timer) and the second button (forward) is go to the next lap. There are four laps. The total duration for a lap is 25 minutes. Click the green color play button to start the timer. Start working until the timer rings.
After each lap is completed, you will be reminded to take a break for 5 minutes. A small pop up window will open on the top bar, click on it to focus the Solanum interface.
Click the green color button to take a short break. The timer will start now. If you don't want to take a break, simply press the forward button to start working!
Once the break time is over, Solanum will reset the clock to 25 minutes, so you can start again. The 5 minutes break is for first 3 laps only. After every fourth lap is completed, you will be prompted to take a longer break i.e. 15 minutes.
Again, Solanum will take you to the first lap after all 4 laps completed and the cycle continues!
An important thing to keep in mind is do not make yourself stressed by completing a larger task within 25 minutes. Do not rush to complete the work within the given focus period.
The goal of Pomodoro technique is to recharge you, not to drain your energy. Sometimes, it is OK to pause the timer even if the 25 minutes interval is over and complete the work and then take a break.
Different people follow different strategies. If this method doesn't work for you, don't force it.
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Featured image by Enikő Tóth from Pexels.
