The Pomodoro Technique and How It Can Boost Your Productivity

This highly-connected world is rife with distractions, and the effective worker needs tools in place to stay focused. One of the most popular time management strategies is called the Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro Technique involves using a timer to give focused effort toward whatever you’re working on for a fixed time, usually 25 minutes per interval, with a short break in between.

Perhaps you’re wondering why the technique is named after the Italian word for ‘tomato.’ The backstory is that the proponent, Francesco Cirillo, named it after the kitchen timer he used during his university days, which was shaped like a tomato!

Does Pomodoro Increase Productivity?

The Pomodoro Technique really can help you be more productive because it trains you to give focused attention to the task at hand, instead of dawdling and getting distracted by a million different things.

Another reason is that it helps you break down your work into manageable chunks. Instead of looking at a huge mountain of work that seems impossible to surmount, you can have confidence that it’s something you can tackle and finish.

Of course, it will only work if you commit to the full process. This means you will still need the discipline to pour your whole self into the task, as well as the discipline to stop when you need to stop.

What Are the 5 Steps in the Pomodoro Technique?

It’s easy to start using the Pomodoro Technique. You can follow these steps:

1. Identify your task or tasks.

The first step is to define what needs to be done and split it up into specific tasks. Again, this is one of the strengths of the tool; you break down a big project into attainable bits.

Once you have done this, choose which task you want to tackle first. Some people like to arrange the tasks in order of importance, so that when you finish the first task, you can automatically move towards the next.

2. Set your timer for 25 minutes.

Don’t skip this step! The timer is a crucial element in the Pomodoro Technique. If you remember, it was also the kitchen timer that gave brith to the name of this time management strategy!

Psychologically, the timer helps you decide you can give your all, because you know there’s a set time when you will have to stop.

Contrast this with facing a task that seems endless; sure enough, when the task seems too daunting, you will feel like giving up even at the get go. But with the knowledge that you are only working on it for a given timeframe, you can jump into it with confidence.

3. Work wholeheartedly on the chosen task.

For the next 25 minutes, give your full effort to the task at hand. Don’t allow anything to distract you from your purpose.

If your phone beeps, choose to ignore it until the timer rings. The key here is to be wholehearted in your work and choose to forego distractions until the time is up. You have the assurance that when the timer goes off, you have time to address all those other little concerns.

4. When the alarm goes off, take a break for 5 minutes.

Now, when the alarm goes off, be sure to stop whatever you’re doing and take a break for five minutes. Don’t sneak in a few more minutes or you’ll disrupt the process.

Discipline yourself to stop all work and take a real break. Don’t skip this break, because it’s critical for refreshing your mind to give you the energy you’ll need again afterwards.

What do you do during the 5-minute break? The possibilities are endless! Here are some ideas: Take a quick walk around the house.

Read a book.
Make an origami papercraft.
Listen to music.
Check your social media.
Have a snack.
Have a cup of coffee or tea.
Send a quick message to a loved one.

Whatever it is you choose to do, make sure you set your timer again for five minutes, so that you know when your break is up. Once it’s over, it’s time to head back to work.

5. Repeat the routine 3 times, and then take a 30-minute break.

After three rounds of 25-minutes focused work and a 5 minute break in between, take a longer break of about 30 minutes. After this longer rest period, go back to the routine of 3 sets of 25-minute work time followed by 5 minute breaks.

Again, you can choose to use this 30-minute break for a variety of activities! If you want, you can even grab some quick shut-eye. Just make sure you set an alarm so you don’t snooze the whole afternoon away.

Is the Pomodoro Technique Good for ADHD?

Another advantage of the Pomodoro Technique is that it has been found to be helpful for people with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Individuals who have this condition tend to be easily distracted and have trouble paying attention, so the intentionality of setting aside a fixed time to work on only one task at a time has proven beneficial.

It can also help people who are used to multi-tasking and who think that they get more done that way! According to Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, individuals can actually access more of their brain power when doing focused work for a longer amount of time instead of multi-tasking, which he calls shallow work.

So next time you have a task that you really want to give your full attention to and complete efficiently, give the Pomodoro Technique a try!

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Yen Cabag

Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.