The Secret of the Pomodoro Technique Is in the Breaks, Not in the Focus
The real progress happens during the breaks, not during the sessions.
Did you ever wake up in the morning and the solution to that nagging problem was just there, clear and logical in your head?
Your brain works hard while you’re asleep. It makes new neuronal connections, processes what you were exposed to during the day and provides new ideas and perspectives in the morning.
However, you can’t always go to sleep when you’re stuck with a challenging task.
Wouldn’t it be great to enable your “automatic problem-solver“ even during the day?
You can, and the answer lies between the tomatoes.
Recap: Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro-technique lets you improve focus and get into the state of flow without burning out.
The name „Pomodoro“ comes from Francesco Cirillo, the father of this technique. He stopped his first „Pomodoros“ using a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato.
To work in Pomodoros, you pick one task, write it down (!), then start a timer and work on this one task until the timer rings. The default length of a Pomodoro is 25 minutes, then a five-minute break. After four intervals, you take a longer break of 15 to 20 minutes.
Before you start the Pomodoro timer, close all other apps (WhatsApp, email-clients, phone into DND-mode, etc). Put a piece of paper next to you in case an important thought that is not related to your task pops up. Write it down and go back to your task.
Here is a online timer that gets you started.
The Hidden Magic of Pomodoros
Pomodoros help us to get started, to (learn how to) focus and get into a state of flow. You focus on one dedicated task and have a clear short-term goal in front of you. So you even have quick rewards.
Yet, the real magic happens during the breaks:
You make your brain work on one specific question for 25 minutes. During the breaks, when you relax, your brain processes what you demanded of it and you will suddenly see yourself having new ideas, perspectives and answers popping up in your head. Just like the great ones in the morning.
However, this only works if you let your brain do its subconscious work. That’s why there are harmful and helpful ways to fill your break. If you focus on the helpful ones, you reveal the full potential of Pomodoros.
What Not to Do in a Break
Don’t look at a screen.
No emails
No social media
No random browsing
No YouTube videos
While random “consuming“ is harmful to your subconscious processing, it also comes with the risk that you get lost on some Instagram feeds and your five-minute break becomes a 45 minute waste of time.
Don’t actively think about your task.
It’s time for your subconscious mind to take over. Observe the thoughts that show up, do not try to control them. It’s like meditation. You’re in a passive position now.
What also did not work for me (but might for you)
- Doing some calligraphy or drawing
- Plan my day
- Sometimes: Talk to others. Risky, because a conversation might take longer than the five-minute break.
How to Create an Idea-Boosting Pomodoro Break
The goal of the Pomodoro break is to recover and avoid burnout, but much more to let your brain process the tasks from the last 25 minutes. It’s most effective if you do not think about your task actively and do activities that are non-demanding for your brain. Then your brain can run its background processes and build the new neuronal connections that spark ideas.
I found myself running out of ideas on what to do in these five-minute breaks. So I prepared a list to have it as a cheat sheet at hand Here are my top ten „idea-boosting“ Pomodoro breaks. They are stupidly simple, yet so effective.
1. My champion: Walk. Just walk. No distractions. No phone (!). Just walk and listen to what your brain says. Do not actively think about the problem! Your brain has a lot to tell you. I call this “technique“ walk and wait. Because I walk and I wait until great ideas pop up in my head. And they come. Always. They might be small, but there’s always a new perspective on the problem, a new angle I can use. For example, I implement an algorithm. While I walk, I get the idea for a different, more effective data structure. Or I remember a design pattern that fits my problem.
2. Get a cup of coffee and refill your water bottle. Get’s you fueled for the next Pomodoro.
3. Clean your coffee cup. You will be happy if you do not have to do it next time you want to use that cup (Be nice to your future self ).
4. Water your plants. My plants tend to grow crispy. Watering them in my Pomodoro breaks once or twice a week drastically prolongs their life!
5. Clean: Your whiteboard (so it’s ready for the next burst of ideas), your desk (it’s so much nicer to work when your desk isn’t dusty or sticky), your shoes (looking good raises your self-confidence)
6. Get oxygen into your head and your pulse up: Make ten sit-ups and ten push-ups.
7. Make a short stretching routine. Your back will love you for this.
8. Get a black roll and relax your muscles with some fascia training. I have a little ball that I use for foot reflexology. Very painful. Very refreshing.
9. Make a breathing exercise. For example the 4–7–8 exercise to relax: Breath in through your nose for the count of four. Hold your breath for the count of seven. Exhale for the count of eight. Repeat three or more times.
10. Prepare lunch. If you work from home, you can use the five minutes to cut some onions, wash salad, set the table. Then when it’s noon and you’re starving, you’re much quicker with the cooking and can have a healthy meal.
All of these tasks do not demand much from your brain so it can do it’s helpful background processing at it’s best.
I get the most helpful ideas when I walk or stare out of the window to relax my display-punished eyes, letting my thoughts flow. It’s a little like meditation: I do not control my thoughts, I rather observe them and pick out what sounds promising.
Use Pomodoros to get your work done.
Use the breaks get it done in a fast, smart, and relaxed way.
