The Pomodoro timer, also known as the Pomodoro Technique is a productive way to deal with the stress of the often heavy workload handed over to us. Primarily, this is a timer that breaks down work schedules into intervals that has 25 minutes per interval and a 5-minute break in between.
The goal of this technique is to give us time to work with the given time, rather than against it; meaning that during the working periods, we have to stay focused and finish what we have to do before the time runs out before taking a break.
Before diving deeper into how the Pomodoro Timer works and how it can help us, let’s understand the history of how this genius technique came to be.
This was first discovered by a university student named Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s. During his university days, he struggled with setting aside different distractions. In order to do so, he grabbed a tomato-shaped timer from the kitchen and solely worked on accomplishing his studies before the timer hit 10. He found this very useful that he started doing it every day.
It may be hard at first for us to change our lifestyle into something that can help us become better since we are beings of habit. Nonetheless, we can improve our lifestyle by being able to allot certain periods of time for each task we have to do, while having breaks in between.
Here are three benefits and ways that the Pomodoro Timer can help improve productivity.
While adjusting to the amount of time given to us, which is traditionally 25 minutes, it gives us a sense of urgency to focus and get work done before time runs out.
When we work for so long, it is not certain that we will be productive during those long hours of just sitting at our desks. It’s in our normal state to give in to distractions throughout working for long hours.
Because of this, we tend to forget our workload and end up procrastinating rather than accomplishing what we have to do. Thus, it is still better if we know how to dedicate a certain amount of time for each task so that we know when to work and when to take breaks.
Once we know how to distribute tasks to different intervals, we will be able to focus on one thing at a time. This will help us finish what we have to do and use our time productively.
All the benefits that come with the Pomodoro Timer has a domino effect. Once we are able to set a certain period of time to finish our tasks, we’ll be more focused. Thus, this will help us finish what we need to finish before our deadlines.
Doesn’t it suck if we cram everything before the deadlines because we end up procrastinating rather than working? Because of this, we need to know how to work efficiently so that at the end, we will be able to get more things done in order for us to enjoy the rest of the day.
Sometimes we feel that putting more time and effort throughout the day helps us accomplish more work. This may be true, however, we get too drained to carry on. Often times we need to repeat what we just did the next day.
Imagine having to go through something that drains you every night. It’s not healthy! We shouldn’t forget that we also have a responsibility to take care of ourselves, despite all the work we have to do! This is also why we have to attain a method that helps us in all aspects in life, such as helping us finish work as well as keeping us healthy.
It’s so draining just to think about doing something again and again. Having a clear objective and laying down a clear list of the things we have to do, while incorporating a time frame, really urges us to focus and get everything done.
Lastly, the Pomodoro Timer teaches us to work on time management. We need to be clear on the tasks we have to finish by the end of the day. This is because, when we are working on so many things, we often mix up everything with the pressure of having to get things done. While multitasking can sometimes be beneficial, it can also decrease the quality of work we can do because we can’t focus.
It would be more acceptable if we are able to know what we have to do first and cross that task out from our to-do-list rather than working on so many things at once. The Pomodoro Timer encourages us to know what task to put first and what task we have to divide to finish most of it at least by the end.
It is important for us to note that we have to choose what tasks to do, and get ready to solely focus on it during the 25 minutes so that we can get it done already.
Furthermore, we do have to learn how to include proper breathers during our workday because it will be draining just to do work the whole day.
This can be done during the 5-minute break time. Here we can regain our energy to work again, re-fill that glass of water we had, and maybe include a set of jumping jacks just to keep us awake.
Because of this as well, it can help us manage our distractions so that we know what time to work and what time to take a break. Thus having that sense of responsibility on knowing what to do, when to do it.
It may not be easy at first to start using the Pomodoro Timer. We have to adapt to adjustments, such as blocking out the different distractions during the working interval and saving it for the breaks, or feeling the urge to keep working even if the work interval is finished. However, we must also keep in mind that this is the best way to be productive.
We can start doing the Pomodoro Timer by setting out clear tasks we can do. Start working on it one by one through giving 25 minutes of working time for the first 4 intervals with 5-minute breaks in between, and then taking a 20-minute break before starting another task so that we can feel more motivated to start on it.
So far, those who started applying this method in their lives have given good feedback in terms of productivity and time management skills after using the Pomodoro Timer. So what are we waiting for? Isn’t it about time we start crossing out those boxes on our to-do-lists?