What Is The Pomodoro Technique?

Fun Fact: It’s named after a tomato

Perfect Timing

The Pomodoro technique is a study habit created by developer, entrepreneur, and author Francesco Cirillo. During his years at university, he developed this technique, naming it after the tomato shaped timer he used during it’s initial development. Cirillo found that the perfect way to perform high demanding tasks is to break up, or chunk your time into 25 minute segments.

Although Cirillo used an egg timer shaped like a tomato, any timer (even on your phone) works just fine. The way it works is simple. Break your time into 25 minute segments, or Pomodoros. After each segment, take a 5 minute break.

Then switch tasks and start all over again.

Although the traditional Pomodoro time is 25 minutes, MANY other people have a different Pomodoro number, customized just for them. Ultimately, the perfect time per Pomodoro is dependent upon the person, so I would recommend trying this technique - starting at 25 minutes, then working your way toward your own personal Pomodoro number.

There is only one rule: Make sure your break time is less than your work time. I was reading comments on a few other articles. Sometimes you have to explain everything, haha.

Why Is The Pomodoro Technique So Effective?

People have used this technique to find that their self reported Productivity levels actually increased after using the Pomodoro technique over the course of a few months. The key to it’s success lies within our natural psychological wants and needs.

Having a timer open changes your mental state in twofold.

Research suggests that keeping an eye on a countdown timer while you’re working actually boosts your productivity.

Urgency is one of the core psychological levers marketers use to make more sales. It’s similar to a sister principle, scarcity. For urgency, we’re talking about any offer that expires after a given length of time. Countdown timers accentuate urgency. They almost make a game of it by dramatizing how little time is left to act. And there it is… ticking away like a bomb. Every second you watch it is another second lost. The customer feels the time slipping away. They’d better act fast before the opportunity is over. Otherwise, they might miss out (which is yet another psychological motivation invoked by countdown timers).

1. Constantly Switching Between Tasks Can Actually Make You More Productive

By setting aside 25 minute chunks of time per task, you can actually be more productive.

From this research, it's clear that giving your brain something new before it's tired of the same old task is the best approach. According to a 2011 study, the same goes for breaks. How you choose to go about this is up to you: you can set a timer (like the one recommended by the Pomodoro technique), decide to switch things up on the hour, or use meetings and lunch breaks to determine when you switch. No matter what creative endeavor you're pursuing, whether as a hobby or as a professional effort, your idea generation skills will benefit from regular breaks.

I strongly encourage you to try this technique out for yourselves. I’ve found that it works wonders for my productivity levels, AND keeps my mind fresh whenever I switch tasks. Personally, my Pomodoro number is anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes, with 5 minute breaks in between, but ultimately it’s up to you! Once you get going with it, keep experimenting until you find what works best for you!

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Thanks,

@kava