Have you ever realized that you’re spending too much time on something? Are you studying for hours on end but not absorbing any of the information? Do you get distracted easily? Try using the Pomodoro method!
The Pomodoro method helps with time management, using focused work sessions along with frequent breaks, and it promotes sustained concentration. This method helps absorb material whilst avoiding mental fatigue. It is ideal for tasks involving monotonous work.
Studying can often be mentally tiring and using the Pomodoro method can help with these problems. It provides short breaks in between productive sessions, so you have time to relax.
History: How Was This Method Created?
The Pomodoro method was created by Francesco Cirillo, who decided to use a Pomodoro (tomato) shaped timer to keep track of his work. He has extensive personal experience regarding time management and productivity, due to his activity at the forefront of the software industry for the past 20 years. Cirillo focuses on teaching businesses how to efficiently spend their time, a book called The Pomodoro Technique: The Life-Changing Time-Management System.
So, what does this method involve?
To ensure the effectiveness of this method, you must focus solely on one task for 25 minutes, each session a ‘pomodoro’. The best way to finish all of your tasks is to create a to-do list entailing what must be finished, and the urgency of each task. As each task is striked off, you will gain happiness and satisfaction!
After 25 minutes, take a break exactly 5 minutes long. After 4 pomodoros, take one longer 25-30 minute break. Here is a website that can help you track your time, but only if you don’t have a tomato shaped timer 🤠!!
Rules to Follow:
Following these rules is essential in order for you to benefit from this method!
- If you have complicated tasks, the best plan of attack is to separate them into multiple parts
- crucial to accurately assess how much time you think each section will take + better to allot more time then less
- Estimate appropriate time based on previous experiences with similar tasks
- aim to finish all your small tasks in one pomodoro
- Able to maximize task to time ratio
- Once you start a pomodoro, you MUST persevere to complete it without distractions.
- If you have notifications coming in, don’t click on them because you will lose focus.
- hard to regain concentration once it’s lost
- help enhance your endurance and focus skills
- If you have notifications coming in, don’t click on them because you will lose focus.
- If there is an unavoidable distraction, then you may take 5 minutes to look into it.
- DON’T continue the previous Pomodoro
- A break in the Pomodoro is still a Pomodoro lost regardless of the reason.
- This trains your brain to minimize breaking pomodoros. Associating a break with totally losing that session, allows you to stay on task.
- If you finish the task you allotted to a pomodoro before it ends, begin another smaller task
- Have a number of small tasks on your list for these cases.
- DON’T slack off or take a longer break.
- Trains your brain to slack off and do poor quality work. Also, you won’t be accomplishing the objective of being productive for 25 entire minutes.
Why is This Method so Effective?
Procrastination is often thought of as something that is a result of laziness or lack of self control. BUT, when we examine this from a scientific perspective, procrastination is actually triggered because the brain puts off things that cause negative feelings.
When we break big projects and tasks into smaller portions, our brain begins to believe that we’re not trying to complete the task with a time crunch, which makes it react positively rather than negatively. Rather than thinking of it as one huge chunk of work to do, you are now thinking of smaller sub steps. Therefore, your brain feels more relaxed and comfortable with the task, allowing you to accomplish tasks in a wiser time frame, and also create quality work!
For example, why do you think that teachers require a first draft before submission of an essay? Our brain thinks in a more organized fashion when we have more time; we know that the final draft will be due after the outline, so we are able to think more clearly and work better. I’m sure that we all know and have realized through experience that quality work is created when we have more time!
If we lose focus for even a couple seconds to check a notification, it can take up to 20 MINUTES to regain focus! So, it takes almost the whole pomodoro to get back to focusing if you let yourself wander for even a second.
Although it’s probably best to take a walk or get a snack during your break, checking social media won’t do too much damage because your brain is aware of the time limit. On the other hand, when you lose focus without a time limit specified, it is easier to drift off for longer, but with a time limit, we can easily get back to work. But, if we pointlessly and timelessly start browsing, there is no defined end (explaining why students are victims of infinite scrolling).
Finally, using this method helps us create an accurate allocation of time per task. Our brain assumes that a task will take less time than it actually would, even if we have done it before. If we have a record of how many pomodoros it took us, we can remember this number for future reference. Accurate separations of time help our brains reflect on how much time should be allotted to which task, helping us save time for other things!
Implementing this method into your daily schedule is actually very simple. We all have certain tasks that we set for ourselves to finish daily. All you do is time yourself in intervals of ~25 minutes while you work!
Once again, you don’t need to schedule many pomodoros per day; completing one pomodoro is also fine as tt’s still an effective use of time. Using this method on a daily basis can help you reach your goals faster!
General Tips
You should definitely plan out how many pomodoros you are aiming to complete before you begin your day. This (todoist- has organization tools) is a great resource making pomodoro planning much easier. Second, it isn’t necessary to start with 25 minutes per pomodoro; the timing can be altered to your liking. Also, if you are doing tasks on computers or any screens for your pomodoro, it is best to avoid screens during your break. Doing so will give your eyes a break as well as refresh your mind.
Finally, you can use websites to help track your pomodoro journey! Here are some useful resources:
- Tracking Pomodoros: It is much easier to keep track of how many pomodoros you completed using this resource. It even provides you with a way to have your to-do list right under your timer! You also can always access a report of your pomodoros– like how many hours a week you used it, and how many days you’ve used it.
- Windows Application: If you have a windows computer, this is great for you; it sends notifications too, so you’ll be notified at the end of a break/pomodoro!
- MAC Application: If you have a mac computer, this is great for you; it sends notifications too, so you’ll be notified at the end of a break/pomodoro!
- iPhone App: Flora
- fun layout (still provides a timer to keep track of pomodoros); your virtual tree grows taller every time you complete a pomodoro! 🪴
- Android App: Forest
- same as Flora, except you grow trees that become a forest rather than a garden.
tl;dr
The Pomodoro Method is an effective method for time management. It helps you focus on the work at hand, but at the same time, encourages you to work smarter, not harder. Using the Pomodoro method helps you divide your time accurately, appropriately, and efficiently.
Focusing solely on one task for 25 minutes ensures the effectiveness of this method. Each 25-minute session is called a ‘Pomodoro’, and you can stack as many pomodoros a day as you like. Between each pomodoro is a 5-minute break. You can alter this to your likes and needs; for example, each pomodoro can be 15 minutes or 40 minutes, and each break could be 5 or 15 minutes.
During the pomodoros, don’t get distracted! It’s best to set aside your extra devices and turn off notifications on whatever device you will be using. During your break, get up and take a walk or wash your face instead of going on your phone (to give your eyes a break).
This method works because your brain is comforted with the knowledge that a large amount of tasks do not need to be finished in a small time frame. Additionally, scientific proof in favor of the Pomodoro Method further explains its effectiveness. After losing focus for even a couple seconds to check a notification, it can take up to 20 MINUTES to regain focus.
So, even if you are not using this method, try not to get distracted by notifications because it can waste a lot of time! If you follow this simple method, you will definitely see improvement in the time you take to complete your work. Check the resources page for some resources that can help you begin your pomodoro journey!