The Pomodoro Technique is a method of managing your time by working ins short 25 min bursts with 5 min breaks. Each work session is a pomodoro, which means tomato in Italian. The developer of the technique, Francesco Cirillo, used a 25 min kitchen timer shaped like a tomato, so the name stuck.1
This may not be for everyone, but it has worked wonders for me this past week. I feel a considerable increase in energy levels at the end of the day and seem to power through tasks with little burn out.
So how do we do this?
The idea is to clarify what you want to be done before you start, then set a timer for 25 min. Work with a strict focus without distractions. After working for 25 min, stop and take a 5 min break away from your workstation. Get up and walk around or something.
- Clarify task
- Work for 25 min
- Rest for 5 min
- Repeat 4 times
- Rest for 15-30 min
- Repeat
Repeat this 4 times then take a longer break 15-30 min. It’s basically a system of taking breaks between your work.
The concept is very similar to the transition activity discussed earlier. The idea of that technique is to stop between tasks and release any tension and rest a bit before you move on to your new activity.
So, what’s the big deal?
Yes. This is just a timer. Just something telling you to take a break every once in a while. You don’t really need a timer to do this, but it may provide structure if you are someone who just powers through things. The idea of this is to take breaks to reset your energy and not burn out.
There is actually a website that has a tomato timer for you: https://www.tomatotimers.com/
To read more on the transition exercise and audio go here.
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