The First week of June this year, my exams were around the corner and because I was studying alongside my full-time job, I had a tonne of syllabus to cover and very little time to do it after spending the days at work.
While looking up ways to cover as much syllabus as possible, I came across the Pomodoro technique. Many people claimed that this technique helped them get a heightened focus while studying and doing complex tasks at work.
So I tried it for myself. Let’s get right to understanding a little bit about what this technique is and how you can use it to maximise your potential.
What is the Pomodoro technique for time management?
The technique involves using a timer for a set period, usually 25 minutes, as a high-productivity period followed by a 5-minute break. Each Pomodoro session is then repeated four times before you can take a slightly longer break.
Typically, it is suggested that you use a clock and not a device like your phone while using this technique to avoid any distractions.
How did the Pomodoro technique come about?
I would think that somehow, the etymological meaning of ‘Pomodoro’ would in some language mean efficiency or something to do with focus. But guess what, the word ‘pomodoro’ has nothing to do with time management, or productivity, or efficiency. It means ‘tomato’ in Italian.
The time management technique came to be known as the ‘Pomodoro technique’ because the guy, Francesco Cirillo back in the 80s happened to use a kitchen clock shaped like a Pomodoro for the timed sets of 25 minutes and the 5-minute break.
There is not much that you need to use this technique. All you need is:
- Know what is it that you need to get done;
- Get yourself a timer – preferably not on your phone because you should ideally be putting that far away;
- Set the timer to 25 minutes and get to work!
- When the timer rings, set the timer to 5 minutes, and step away from your books/laptop (Don’t go too far, you need to hear the timer ring you when the 5 minutes are over);
- When the timer rings again, set it to 25 minutes again and get back to work;
- Repeat this 4 times and then you can take a longer 20-30 minutes break.
How it works
This technique is based on the theory of “cognitive load”. According to this theory, the ability of the human mind to receive and absorb information is limited. After that ability is exhausted, it is better to give it a break to diffuse from the regular thinking space.
Studies have also been conducted where complex scientific concepts were taught to students divided into two groups – out of which, only one was taught using the Pomodoro technique.
The scientists found that the group that was taught using the Pomodoro technique not only grasped the concepts better and stored them better in their working memory, but some of the students of this group also perfected the tests they were supposed to conduct.
My experience with the Pomodoro technique
The short answer is yes. But the long answer is worth reading.
I honestly did not know the science behind the technique before I started using the technique. Lucky for me, it just popped up in my YouTube suggestions when I was trying to search for some online tutorials and started using it rather unconsciously.
As I did the two Pomodoros, I realized I had covered a much larger chunk of the syllabus than I was usually covering without the Pomodoros. So I realized two hours into using this technique that my productivity had increased.
How did Pomodoro help me?
- Increased focus: The obvious benefit of the Pomodoro was heightened focus during the focus period. Because the clock made me conscious about the fact that I was studying, mentally I was able to cut out the distractions and focus on what I had to get done. If you want to read more about increasing your focus while working, you can read it here.
- Goal setting: I became conscious of how much I needed to get done given the time frame. So I figured how much I could cover up during each Pomodoro. This technique helped me set small and big goals for myself.
- Break reset: During the break, I get the time and space to think about how much I’ve covered and how much still needs to be done. This reset period gave me the time and space to rethink my strategy to cover more if needed.
- Time awareness: As the timer would ring every 25 minutes, I would notice how much time had passed so I was a lot more aware of how much time was passing while I was studying.
- Increased accountability: After each Pomodoro, I ended up taking stock of work pending to be done for the day. This helped me keep track of everything I had done so it made me feel way more accountable.
- Efficient tracking: As I completed a few topics during each Pomodoro, I marked them completed on my to-do list and got immense satisfaction and motivation to get more accomplished.
How did the technique hold me back?
There were also some drawbacks I noticed with this technique if used in a very rigid manner.
- Too rigid: First of all, a lot of people make it extremely complex by setting out a detailed list of do’s and don’ts. Instead of focusing on getting the most work accomplished, I started focusing on how to properly apply this technique. So the whole point of using the Pomodoro technique to get the best productivity results kind of became unfruitful.
- Breaks the flow: 25 minutes was great in the beginning when I started using this technique. But as I practised it more frequently, my attention span also seemed to get better – no, this is not the drawback here. The drawback is how the break after 25 minutes acted more like a disruption than a reset.
- Wastes time: Because I was disrupted, it would then take a few minutes after I restarted the focus period to get back to work, especially with the same kind of rigour. This ended up wasting a lot of time.
This doesn’t mean that the technique didn’t work, it just meant that it needed to be pinched a little bit.
How can you improve Pomodoro?
So, I decided to tweak the technique to my advantage and liking. This is how I did it and how you can improve the technique to apply it to yourself in a personalized way.
- Don’t break focus even after 25 minutes: if you’re in the high focus zone, ditch the Pomodoro when you feel like it is becoming a distraction more than a tool to enhance productivity. Cc
- Change time limits: As I went on to use it more and more, I realized that my focus period increased and I immersed myself in the study material only to find myself getting disrupted at the end of 25 minutes. So I gradually increased the focus period to 30 minutes and so on. Currently, I can work with hyper focus using the Pomodoro for about 45 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.
- Don’t use your phone as a timer: If you use your phone as a timer, there is a high chance that you will end up getting distracted by a notification popping up on the home screen that is bound to disrupt your focus. This will happen not only during the focus period but also during the interval time where you might lose track of time completely. I highly recommend that you use a timer that is not connected to the Internet in the first place.
- Use it everywhere: There is clear evidence that this technique works. There is no reason to limit its use only to studying and working. Use the technique everywhere while doing simple and complex tasks.
Pro tip: Add some calming music: What helped me a lot during my stress-study period was using the Pomodoro technique along with some calming music playing alongside. You’re welcome 🙂
