All About the Pomodoro Technique
By Fran DeNunzio
Something that I always find myself saying is, “I need to be productive today.” I think we all strive to be as productive as possible, but being productive all the time can be really hard. In an ideal world, there would be no distractions and we could just cross everything off of our to-do list that we wanted to. Unfortunately, life is a little more challenging than that, as we all have many different responsibilities and it’s easy to get overwhelmed in the sheer number of things we have to get done. Oftentimes, we find ourselves in a productive routine that eventually we get burned out from, which causes us to feel unmotivated and hinders our productivity.
That’s why it’s important to switch things up in the way that you plan your to-do list. I think a lot of people default to choosing one task and working on it until they have completed it. However, this is difficult as we tend to lose focus when working on one thing for so long. If you have been struggling with your productivity recently, I suggest trying out the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique is an extremely effective time management tool that has been proven to help increase productivity. It was invented in the 1980s by a college student named Francesco Cirillo who was overwhelmed and struggling with completing his assignments. He discovered that by dedicating himself to short study sessions, he was more focused and motivated to complete different tasks. This method is based on the theory that you should plan focused work sessions, alternate between different work sessions, and take frequent short breaks in between. He named it after the Pomodoro shaped kitchen timer that he used to set the time frames for his sessions of work. Each focused work session is called a “pomodoro.” If you find yourself getting distracted easily, having long-term assignments like studying for an exam or writing a paper, procrastinating frequently, or simply feeling overwhelmed with the volume of things you have to get done, I suggest trying this technique. It will help you maintain concentration to accomplish a variety of tasks while helping to prevent burnout. It’s less daunting to know that you only have to work for a short period of time before you can work on something else or take a break.
How do I utilize the Pomodoro Technique?
Form a to-do list and pick one task off of that list to work on.
Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on that one task until the time is up.
Once you have worked for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break.
Once your break is up, choose another task and repeat the previous steps.
After completing four Pomodoro’s, or work sessions, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
Repeat as many times as you may need.
What else do I need to know?
Divide big tasks into smaller steps so that you can complete the different steps within pomodoros, slowly and methodically accomplishing a large task over time. You will be less likely to procrastinate these long assignments if they are broken down into tangible items.
If you have several small tasks that won’t take long, combine them to fit into one pomodoro.
If you get interrupted during a pomodoro session or finish your task before the timer goes off, take your 5-minute break and then start another pomodoro.
This doesn’t just apply to schoolwork; it applies to everything you might need to get done, whether that is cleaning your room, doing laundry, filling out an application, or meal-prepping. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the Pomodoro Technique. The goal is to simply increase your productivity in all areas of your life!
