Time management is something everyone struggles with, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Pomodoro technique is super-effective in helping you overcome procrastination and become more productive. If you have a lot of flexible tasks, get distracted easily, or you’re just really passionate about tomatoes, then this might just help you 🙂
- What is it?
- Why it works
- Customise it!
- Apps that have Pomodoro timers
What is it?
The Pomodoro technique was created by Francesco Cirillo, who went on to write a 130-page book about it. Despite that, it’s incredibly simple – all you need is a timer! Set the timer to 25 minutes, and try working for the entire time. Once the timer goes off, take a 5 minute break before starting your work again. After 4 cycles (totalling 2 hours of work), take a 30 minute break. It’s that easy!
Why it works
The Pomodoro technique is effective because it forces you to take the first step. Most people have a lot of open-ended, undefined tasks to do. These are tasks that don’t have a definitive end point, like studying or researching. Because there’s no end in sight, it becomes more difficult to start the task, as it seems more daunting than it really is. However, with the Pomodoro technique, there’s a clear end-point to when the task is done: in 25 minutes, when the timer rings. By creating a well-defined finish line to your task, you make it easier to get started since there’s a break to look forward to.
Also, because 25 minutes is so short, it becomes easier to get started with a task, since you know you’ll only be working for a short time. Because of that, distractions are easier to avoid, as it’s such a short time until you have a break anyway. Finally, the short breaks give your brain time to recharge, though they’re not short enough for you to lose your flow.
Customise it!
The most important part of the Pomodoro method is that it’s tailored to you, and your needs. If you feel as though 25 minutes is too long for you to work, shorten it until you don’t feel as much resistance to the task! You can also experiment with the length of the breaks. Maybe you feel that a 5 minute break isn’t a big enough incentive – so make it longer! However, if you decide to make it longer, then you could consider not having a longer break after 4 cycles, since you might not need to recharge as much.
Also, if you find that you can get into a flow while working, try lengthen the time you set aside to work. This way, your concentration won’t be interrupted. Nevertheless, remember to make your breaks longer so that you don’t burnout! Overworking can be just as unproductive as underworking 🙂
Apps that have Pomodoro timers
Although some people might be happy with a simple timer, there are apps out there that can streamline the Pomodoro process:
- Focus to-do – this is a browser extension that I personally like to use. It has both a timer and a to-do list, which facilitates my time management. As well as this, you can track your procress!
- Noisli – another browser extension, but this one is super cool! It’s got ambient sounds that you can play while you work! 🙂
- Forest – an incredibly popular (paid) app and (free) extension, and for good reason. It lets you create a blacklist of sites, use the pomodoro timer, and track your progress (through trees!)
Thank you very much to my good friend Amy, who suggested this topic 🙂 Hopefully this method helped you to overcome procrastination and manage your time! If you’re still struggling with time management, try checking out this post about timeblocking 🙂
