How To Improve Your Productivity Using The Pomodoro Technique

Hello everyone! Today, I bring to you, a productivity hack that works. It is called the Pomodoro technique. This might be the first time you are hearing of this strange name, but don’t worry, I will be explaining exactly what Pomodoro is and how it can be just what you need to improve your productivity.

Some people find it easy to sit and concentrate on a task, or tasks, for hours without taking a break. Many people, however, find this very difficult to do. We get distracted, tired, or lose motivation when working on tasks that eat deep into our time. This is where Pomodoro comes in.

The Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that encourages people to break their work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. This technique was developed in the late 1980s by a university student called Francesco Cirillo. Cirillo was struggling to focus on his studies and complete assignments. Feeling overwhelmed, he asked himself to commit to just 10 minutes of focused study time. Encouraged by the challenge, he found a tomato (Pomodoro in Italian) shaped kitchen timer, and the Pomodoro technique was born.

How Pomodoro Works

The biggest strength of this method is its simplicity.

1. At the beginning of the day, decide the tasks you need to work on and put them down on a to-do list.
2. Pick a task to work on, then set your timer for 25 minutes.
3. Focus on this task until the timer rings.
4. Once the timer rings, leave the task and enjoy a 5-minute break.
5. Repeat this cycle 4 times and then take a longer break of 15 minutes (or up to 30 minutes if you want).

Once the break is over, go back to your task and repeat the process, again and again, until you are done with your tasks.

To get the most out of the Pomodoro practice, it is advisable to follow these three simple rules.

1. Break down complex projects. If a task requires more than four pomodoros, it is advisable to break it down into smaller, actionable steps. This will help to ensure that you make clear progress on your projects.
2. Small tasks go together. Any tasks that will take less than one Pomodoro should be combined with other simple tasks.
3. Do not break the Pomodoro cycle. The Pomodoro is an indivisible unit of time and should not be broken. Activities such as receiving phone calls or reading text messages must be scheduled for the break period. Nothing should eat into your 25-minute work sprint. In the event of an unavoidable disruption, take your five-minute break and start again. Cirillo recommends that you track interruptions (internal or external) as they occur and reflect on how to avoid them in your next session.

If you complete a proposed task before the end of a Pomodoro, any remaining time should be devoted to activities, for example:

1. Review the task you just completed.
2. Review the activities from a learning point of view (for example, what learning objective did you accomplish? What learning outcome did you accomplish? Did you fulfil your learning target, objective, or outcome for the task?)
3. Review the list of upcoming tasks for the next planned Pomodoro time blocks, and start reflecting on or updating them.

Cirillo suggests:

Specific cases should be handled with common sense: If you finish a task while the Pomodoro is still ticking, the following rule applies: If a Pomodoro begins, it has to ring. It’s a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity for overlearning, using the remaining portion of the Pomodoro to review or repeat what you’ve done, make small improvements, and note what you’ve learned until the Pomodoro rings.

The number of Pomodoros you do in a day depends on you. I will advise that you follow your strength and pay attention to how much this system helps to improve your productivity.

Tools you can use for the Pomodoro Technique

Cirillo encouraged a low-tech approach, using a mechanical timer, and pen and paper for your to-do list. However, there are many online applications now available that can make Pomodoro easier for you. A few of these are

1. Pomotodo
2. Tomato timer
3. Flat Tomato
4. Focus To-Do
5. Engross
6. You can also use your phone as your timer

The good thing about Pomodoro is its flexibility. If you feel the 25-minute work sprint is too small for you, you can increase it to, say, 50 minutes and take a 10 minutes break at the end of the Pomodoro period.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you have tried Pomodoro before, and you want to share your experience, feel free to use the comment section and air your view. Also, if you know of any other productivity hack, please use the comment section to enlighten us.

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