Superfocus
Task paralysis is not laziness. The project is too big to hold, so the nervous system stalls. A pomodoro timer does not “cure” that, but a sprint with a tiny next action gives you a contract you can keep.
Shrink until it is embarrassing
“Write the paper” is paralysis. “Open the doc and write the title” is a sprint. Put that line in Superfocus. Start 10–15 minutes. When the timer ends, you are allowed to stop. Often you continue. The trick is that continuing is optional; starting was the job.
Why long pomodoros fail here
25 minutes of “the whole assignment” is still the blob. The pomodoro technique assumes you already picked a bite-sized unit of work. Do that first, then run the clock.
A daily cap
Three honest sprints beat an all-day rumination. Superfocus reports show finished blocks so you can see movement without arguing with yourself about identity.