Pomodoro Technique

By Live Well Teens Team

The Pomodoro technique is not a fruit, although it does sound like one. In this blog post, we will learn about this powerful study technique and some of the pros and cons of using this technique.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a strategy invented by Francesco Cirillo. The Pomodoro Technique got its name after a tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo used to implement this technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a powerful time-management technique that can be used to help you study, retain information, and have more time to spend on extracurricular activities. Don’t be checking other sites like Facebook, YouTube, or even Live Well Teens. The whole point of this technique is to get 25 minutes of deep, intense work, and small breaks to refresh your brain.

Why It Works

The theory behind the Pomodoro technique is that large tasks should be broken down into small, manageable chunks. This is taking advantage of the fact that our brains have limited attention spans, and function better when given a break.

How It Works

Before you begin, create a list of all the things you need to accomplish during this session. I suggest that you write A for the most important, B for the next important, and C for the least important. Put your phone on airplane mode before you start.
Grab a timer, either old-fashioned or on your phone, for 25 minutes and start working on the first task. This is the first Pomodoro. Avoid constantly checking the timer!
If a distraction arises while you are working, write it down on a piece of paper. If you have to check Instagram, play a video game, or even look at memes, write them down on a separate piece of paper. Keep working on the task.
When the timer goes off, you have finished a Pomodoro cycle. Take a short 5-minute break, and then start another Pomodoro. Make sure to get up and take the break in another location rather than staying where you are working. Use this time to use the bathroom and refill your water.
At the end of each Pomodoro cycle, take a few minutes to document everything you have accomplished, or check off the completed tasks from your list.
Once you have finished four Pomodoro cycles, take a 20- to 30- minute break. You can do all of the things written on your distraction list at this time.
Repeat this cycle until all of your tasks are complete.

Benefits of Using the Pomodoro Technique

1. Manage distractions and control your time

The Pomodoro Technique empowers you to take back control of your own time and complete your work faster. If a coworker, sibling, or parent approaches you in the middle of a Pomodoro, use the “inform → negotiate → schedule → call back” strategy to postpone the interruption until you are ready

Inform them that you are occupied at the moment, but negotiate and schedule a time when you will be able to help. Then, when you are finished, invite them to come back and work with you. When the distractions are internal, write them down on a piece of paper and push through to the end of your Pomodoro. During the break, you can do a back-flip, watch one of our webinars, or even look up school memes.
In the Pomodoro technique, you write down all of the completed tasks, and you are giving yourself and your supervisor the chance to see the effectiveness of this technique. This technique can increase accountability, and assist you in staying organized.

2. Improve planning skills

Keeping track of your accomplishments will make it easier to plan effectively in the future. You will be able to get a better idea of how long it takes to complete a task. In this way, users will be able to get a better idea of how long it takes to complete a job without feeling overwhelmed. Also, this technique will ensure that the 30 minutes of study time is focused, so more time can be spent on leisure time.

Benefits of the Pomodoro Technique at work

1. Decreases mental fatigue

The Pomodoro Technique requires users to take frequent breaks, preferably where they walk around. They may walk around the office, grab a snack, fill up your water bottle, or play a game on their phone. Getting up to stretch your legs prevents the onset of desk-induced back and shoulder pain as well as posture problems. Sitting is the new smoking. Similarly, allowing your mind to wander for a few minutes reduces workday burnout, and deep work helped you get a task done in 20 minutes instead of 1 hour of wasting time. When you feel good mentally and physically, you feel better and become more productive.

2. Maintain motivation

As you approach the end of a Pomodoro cycle, and your work is almost done, it becomes an exciting race against the clock to finish before running out of time. The excitement motivates you to work faster, even when you would typically start slowing down. These short bursts of motivation add up over time and increase the amount of work you get done.

Things to Keep in Mind

Since the Pomodoro Technique focuses on how you do your work and not on how you organize your work, many techniques can complement this strategy.
Finally, the Pomodoro method is highly personal. It only really impacts your productivity, you don’t need to get other people’s approval before beginning. Pomodoro is an excellent tool in many circumstances, such as:
Doing tasks, you dislike or have little motivation for completing. It’s only 25 minutes of work, and completing these tasks in short, manageable chunks with breaks will prevent frustration and increase the quality of work.
Doing monotonous tasks. Filing papers, writing emails, or copying something. Essentially, you can turn this technique into a game and challenge yourself to see how much you can accomplish. For example, you can challenge yourself to write 10 emails before the 25 minutes is up and see if you succeed.
Working on a large project or report without feeling stuck or overwhelmed and wasting too much time.

Drawbacks of the Pomodoro Technique

Although the Pomodoro technique is an extremely effective technique, it has some drawbacks.

This technique requires a rigid structure to follow, and many people may dislike this type of work; some might prefer a more unstructured creative work environment.
This technique requires others not to bother you while you are working and minimal distractions. This may be difficult in some households, where people don’t have access to 25 minutes of uninterrupted time because of family or type of work.
The Pomodoro technique requires no distractions, and this requires practice and dedication for some people. Some distractible people may find this extremely difficult to follow because they feel the need to constantly check their phone or watch shows.
For some people, it is difficult to get into a creative flow, but once they are working, they are in a full state of concentration. The timer going off may interrupt this concentration and can cause some people to lose their creative flow.

My challenge for the week would be to purchase a Pomodoro timer or download one of the free apps in the link below. Then, try practicing the Pomodoro technique with anything you need to accomplish and see if it is the right method for your needs and studying style.
Good Luck! See you next time.

Sources

5 Reasons to Use the Pomodoro Technique at Work ….
https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/5-reasons-to-use-the-pomodoro-technique-at-work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNBmG24djoY&t=222s