Do you have difficulties being productive and completing your tasks within a deadline? The Pomodoro technique can be the great solution. Created by an Italian student in the late 1980s, this technique has a very simple premise: increase productivity while resting!
Various factors affect our productivity, mainly the excess of stimuli, information, voluntary and involuntary interruptions, social networks, lack of planning, cell phone notifications, etc.
The list is endless and greatly hinders our mental agility. At the end of the day, the feeling is one of frustration and that the mission has not been accomplished.
Therefore, we recommend that you learn to take advantage of the Pomodoro technique right now, which helps you complete your tasks. Oh, the best part is that you can apply it immediately. Shall we start?
Meaning of the word Pomodoro
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that helps people work with the time they have, not against it. With this method, you break up your work day and take small intervals to rest.
Pomodoro is an Italian word that means tomato. Briefly, the Italian Francesco Cirillo discovered the method using a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato.
Using the Pomodoro Technique, you can break your day into 25- or 30-minute chunks and do 5-minute intervals. Every four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break, 15 to 20 minutes.
The Pomodoro Technique is especially powerful for people who:
- They have trouble keeping even in small tasks;
- They find distractions all the time;
- They end the work day feeling mentally drained;
- They have a lot of things to do and they need to finish them quickly.
How does the Pomodoro Technique help overcome the culture of distractions?
How many times do you touch the cell phone screen and get distracted? In accordance with a user does it approximately 2,617 times a day.
It is a constant flow of information, notifications of , messages and emails that occupy our time. The result? Our productivity decreases more and more.
The issue is not distraction, but the time and energy it takes to focus back on work or study. It takes about 20 minutes to regain full focus, and after giving in to the urge to check out Facebook, it takes another 20 minutes.
How can we teach our brain to resist all these self-interruptions and train it to fully focus on a task? This is where the Pomodoro Technique comes in!
The method in practice
The Pomodoro Technique became world famous after the publication of the book The Pomodoro Technique, from its creator, Francesco Cirillo. It is known as the system that changed the way we manage our time and the way we work.
Cirillo, as we have already explained, used a tomato-shaped timer as his personal stopwatch. This solution stemmed from his desire to combat anxiety and focus on his college studies.
By breaking up the time and resting after each period, he found it easier to fully focus on the task and get it done, and that it relaxed his mind.
By spreading this method in the world, other benefits were discovered, such as:
- Anxiety relief;
- Improvement of study or work processes;
- Maintaining the determination to achieve goals;
- Increased concentration;
- Impulse and constancy of motivation.
But, in practice, how does the Pomodoro Technique work? We are going to find out now!
1. Make a list of the tasks you have to complete
With a pencil and paper, the first step is to make a list of the tasks (or the task) that you must complete and finish it as quickly as possible. It can be something big or small, or something you’ve been putting off for years.
It doesn’t matter what the task is. The important thing at this stage is that it is something that deserves your full attention.
Spoilers: later you will learn the importance of writing down your list on paper!
2. Minimize distractions
Close the mail tab, close the social networks, turn off the phone or leave it in silent mode, put on noise-cancelling headphones and close the door.
Learning to minimize and manage distractions is one of the main skills that the Pomodoro Technique will teach you. It’s not easy at first, but over time, it will become a .
3. Start the first Pomodoro
Once you make your to-do list, it’s time to give it as much attention as possible. If the task is a big one, break it down into small tasks that can be done in a short amount of time.
Find the stopwatch (which can be an app, which we’ll show you later) and start the first 25 minutes.
During this time, there should be no interruption. Your attention should be exclusively on the task. Remember: it’s only 25 minutes!
4. Take advantage of your 5 minute break
Alright, first session done!
When the timer rings, get away from your work or study place for 5 minutes. Take a short walk, drink water, a coffee, answer emails, take the opportunity to go to the bathroom, etc.
Use that little bit of time to clear your mind and prepare for the next Pomodoro.
5. Repeat the session
After the short break, set the timer for another 25-minute session. If you finished the previous task, cross it off the list and start the next one.
If not, write down the status of the progress (70% complete, for example), and refocus fully!
6. Pause longer
After a cycle of four Pomodoros, take a longer break (also known as a “pomodori”) of about 20 minutes.
This interval is essential to really rest and give your brain more energy.
7. Cross off the task on the paper!
There is no better feeling than duty fulfilled. And that is what the Pomodoro Technique helps us achieve. After you finish the task, cross it off on the paper and celebrate!
This is the first big step to meet your goals and run towards success.
Applications that will help you
In the age of smartphones and computers, the tomato-shaped timer has retired and given way to apps that keep time but also organize tasks.
We have selected 4 free options that will help you use the Pomodoro Technique. Look at them:
1. Focus-To-Do
The application available for Android, iOS and Windows, combines the timer Pomodoro with a task manager.
According to the developers, it is a science-based app that will motivate you to stay focused and accomplish the tasks you set for yourself.
In the app, you can add and organize tasks into lists, as well as define how many pomodori it takes to complete each task. After finishing, you just have to mark it as finished.
You can also set reminders, deadlines, create subtasks, set priorities, and write notes for tasks.
2.Be Focused
This is a piece of advice for those looking for an app to use the Pomodoro technique in everyday tasks and for professional projects.
it is available for iOS and, like the previous one, it has functions that go beyond the timer.
In addition to creating and managing tasks, the app also reports on your progress and is fully customizable.
3. Tomato Timer
The website is a basic version of the timer with a single and simple objective: to mark the time of the Pomodoro and the breaks.
This is the ideal format for those who want to focus on a single task, mainly on the computer.
pressing Start, the timer starts counting 25 minutes and, after that period, sounds an alarm and returns to zero. In the short pause, the stopwatch counts an interval of 5 minutes and in the long one, one of 10.
In case you want to customize the time, timer volume or sound, just go to Settings (Settings).
4. Grapefruit
is an exclusive application for desktop (Windows, Mac and Linux), ideal for those who want to use the Pomodoro technique at work and in a more powerful way.
Its little peculiarity is that it works exclusively in sync with Trello. But that’s not much of a problem, as Trello is a widely used and effective task management tool.
Discover more tools to help you with productivity!
The Pomodoro technique is a simple, practical and functional method. Many people who adopt it in their work or study routine feel that they are fulfilling their tasks without stopping to rest.
Of course, each person uses it in their own way. Therefore, it is essential that you find the time that works for you.
In addition, it is a totally free method. You can use the apps we show you, or try it the old-fashioned way, with the tomato-shaped stopwatch.
But, if you think that the Pomodoro technique alone will not be enough to increase your productivity, don’t panic! Read our article with .
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