The Pomodoro Technique: Everything You Need to Know

The Pomodoro technique is a deceptively simple way to deal with procrastination and distraction.

It works by capitalising on short, planned periods of distraction.

How To Implement It

Getting started with the Pomodoro Technique is simple.

1. Choose your most important task.

2. Start your Pomodoro timer.

3. Work ONLY on your chosen task for 25 minutes.

4. After 25 minutes, when your Pomodoro timer rings, you have completed one Pomodoro session.

5. Take a five minute break from your work. 

6. Go through steps 1 to 5 three more times.

7. Once you have completed 4 Pomodoros, take a bigger break of 20 minutes.

Return to step one, and repeat this routine throughout your working day.

It’s important to turn off your phone, internet access and anything else that might distract you while you work.

How Many Pomodoros Should I Do Each Day?

Many people find that eight Pomodoro sessions per day works well for them.

They typically group them into two sets of four Pomodoros. This provides them with almost four hours of highly focused work time. 

For the rest of the day, they will work in a less focused way.

They ensure that less critical tasks do not get dropped and communicate with colleagues during this time.

However, you need to experiment and discover how many Pomodoros per day works best for you.

Some people find eight sessions difficult to organise, while others find they can do twelve or even sixteen sessions in a day happily.

Using a time tracker (eg Traqq) while experimenting is often a good idea as it gives you a good overall view of your working day and allows you to see if something is helpful or not.

Why Does It Work?

The Pomodoro technique works for four primary reasons. 

1. It forces you to prioritise ruthlessly.

By forcing you to pick your most important task, the Pomodoro technique also forces you to choose what you are not going to work on. 

The Eisenhower matrix is a great way to do this if you find it tricky, also using a Pareto analysis can be very helpful.

2. It gamifies productivity.

Studies have shown that gamifying work significantly increases enjoyment and productivity.

The Pomodoro technique turns work into a game. 

You break tasks down into small bits that you then complete piece-by-piece. 

3. It makes time for distractions.

The Pomodoro technique makes sure that you actively block distractions during your work time and encourages you to plan for them during your short breaks. 

As this is planned, it is limited, and distractions don’t run riot, causing issues with your productivity throughout the day. 

The Pomodoro technique is practical and realistic.

Conclusion 

Distraction is not the enemy of productivity when managed correctly.

Research shows that it can improve creativity, memory, and focus. 

Instead of actively avoiding distractions, you can use the Pomodoro technique to capitalise on them and boost your focus and productivity.

Image Credit: Chitokan, Monstera