The Pomodoro Method and Why You Should Try It
There are handfuls upon handfuls of different methods to maintain your productivity. Maybe you’re someone who needs a reward after every task, or you need something playing in the background. Maybe you’re someone who refuses to stop your task until you’re done, powering through for hours. Or, maybe, you’re still trying to figure out what works best for you.
When it comes to being a student, it can be difficult to manage all the tasks coming your way. It’s hard to get started on an assignment when you know you need to study, and it’s hard to study when you aren’t sure how long it’ll take, and overall, it can just be tough finding where to start and how long to focus. Even just the energy it takes to focus can be a lot.
With all this in mind, it can be helpful to break down your tasks into smaller, bite-sized sessions, giving yourself breaks at more strict times. Enter the “Pomodoro method”. The Pomodoro method is a way of maintaining your productivity across a longer span of time, and it’s perfect for managing multiple tasks, long or short, while still giving you chances to breathe and reset.
What is the Pomodoro method?
The Pomodoro method was coined by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s while he was a university student. He used a kitchen timer to break apart his work into timed-out chunks; the kitchen timer he used, shaped like a tomato (or “pomodoro”, in Italian), inspired the name. Cirillo divided his work up into 25-minute chunks, and then allowed for a 5-minute break afterwards. After four of these “pomodoro” intervals, he took a longer break — usually 15 to 30 minutes — and the cycle continued on until all his work was complete. It allows for a balance of work and rest, without leaning too much into one or the other. Though Cirillo used it primarily for his university work, it can be applied to any sort of education or work.
Why should I use it?
The Pomodoro method works well if you are someone who often gets distracted during work, and you find yourself zoning out on your phone or taking far-too-frequent breaks. If it’s hard for you to divide out your tasks into a checklist, or a reward system (“if I finish this worksheet, I’ll watch a video”) doesn’t work for you, it can be easier for you to use a timer! A timer is something that is set in stone — once you set it, you wait for it to be done. If you have these set chunks of time to work on things, and dedicated break times, it can be a lot easier to stay focused on your tasks and not get distracted or take unintentional breaks. Having a timer set can help you stay in the groove of your work, and help you stay accountable when you are taking breaks.
Another benefit to the Pomodoro method is the fact that it’s more of a “game”. Having tasks to do under a timer, with set breaks and set chunks of work, can make the work go by faster and give you more of a sense of accomplishment. We like to make productivity fun! It helps us stay focused and feel good when we get things done. The Pomodoro method lets you lean into that, and it can greatly benefit you and your work. A long study session day will feel a lot more manageable when you give yourself time limits and set breaks.
How do I follow the Pomodoro method?
For you to use the Pomodoro method, all you need is a timer of some sort and your tasks! It can be helpful to have a to-do list — that way, you know all of your tasks, and you can even plan out how many pomodoro cycles you want to spend on them. It can add another layer of accomplishment, and allow you to make it even more of a “game” (“I want to finish this essay in five pomodoro cycles”, “I will give myself two pomodoro cycles to go through some unread emails”). If you finish a task early in your pomodoro cycle, you can look over your other tasks, review the one you just completed, or see if there’s a task you can feasibly accomplish in the leftover time. Let’s say you’re studying for your finals in three of your classes. If you need more help and study time in one class, give yourself more pomodoro cycles than the class you’re confident in and don’t need to study as much for. This allows you to give each task the amount of time it warrants, without under- or overworking yourself.
The Pomodoro method may seem constricted in its time limits, but if you want to adjust it to your own sets of time, that also works! Maybe your set of tasks feels like it would benefit from 40-minute working periods instead of 25, and you want to give yourself 15-minute breaks instead of 5. I enjoy doing 30-minute periods of work with 10-minute breaks, and after four pomodoro cycles, I give myself 45 minutes of a longer break. Adjust the time to whatever works for you, or, just stick with Cirillo’s original times!
If you want to use a physical timer like Cirillo did, that works well — especially if you’re someone who will get distracted with a digital timer being on your phone or computer. However, there are also digital timers you can use that are specifically tailored for the Pomodoro method! I enjoy using Pomofocus. You can use it to change the pomodoro cycle times, have a list of tasks, assign the number of cycles you want to use to complete each task, and more.
The Pomodoro method is perfect for students who find themselves getting distracted while doing their work, and who want a little more of a sense of accomplishment when they get things done. Working within time constraints can help you get into the flow of your work better, and keep you in check when you take breaks so they aren’t too long, disrupting your tasks. It’s easy to tailor to your needs, whether you need shorter or longer pomodoro cycles, and it can make being productive more fun and rewarding for you! Whether you’ve got a lot of little tasks, a few larger tasks, or a mix of both, the Pomodoro method allows you to break them into pieces and get your work done in a manageable way.
Written by Grayson Buckley, Press & Written Media team
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