- The Pomodoro technique is a popular time-management method invented by Italian Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s
- It is named after the Italian word for tomato, as Francesco Cirillo used a tomato-shaped timer to track his progress.
- It was used to improve the efficiency while studying but is now a widely used productivity and time management technique.
- The Pomodoro technique is a method based on working in short and intense timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”), spaced out by short, frequent breaks. This trains your brain to focus for short periods and the short breaks allow your brain to recharge itself.
- The Pomodoro technique for studying has multiple benefits such as increased efficiency, improved concentration and attention span and decreased procrastination.
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been completely overburdened by work? Do you tend to procrastinate your work only to work under immense stress and pressure to submit it before the deadline?
If you’re a college student, chances are that the answer to these questions is going to be yes. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), anywhere from “80 percent to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, particularly when it comes to doing their coursework.”
And with the countless distractions that we constantly face, is it any wonder that you can’t get yourself to work in a focused manner? Before studying, you might think, “Let me just check my phone quickly.” And you know what happens next.. 2 minutes turn to 10 minutes, which turn into an hour.. or more!
You want to get so much done but you just can’t focus! If you relate to all of this then the Pomodoro technique is the best productivity technique for you. It can save you a lot of procrastination, and late-night burn-outs as a consequence of that.
WHAT IS THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE FOR STUDYING
The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time-management method invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. He was studying at a university at that time and he invented it so that he could focus on his studies. He was looking for a way to get more done in less time and came up with the Pomodoro technique to help him do just that.
He actually used a tomato-shaped timer to track his progress. That’s why the method is named “Pomodoro” after the Italian word for tomato,
Initially, it was used for studying but is now a widely popular time management technique or productivity technique used by people from all walks of life. Here’s the original document about the Pomodoro technique for studying by Francesco Cirillo. But if you want a short version of it, keep reading below!
In short, it is a method based on studying in timed intervals for short bursts. The method involves setting up a timer for 25 minutes and then doing focused work, without any distractions for those 25 minutes. This interval is called a “Pomodoro”. You can then take a break for 5 minutes and then study intensely again for the next 25 minutes.
WHY THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE WORKS
Working in short bursts and taking quick and frequent breaks to recharge your mind is at the core of the Pomodoro technique. And why does this work?
Well, contrary to the popular belief that studying for long hours is essential to maintain the workflow state, studies have shown that brief and rare mental “breaks” help you stay focused.
The effectiveness of the Pomodoro technique was tested on software developers and the scientific study shows that the time management technique dramatically increased productivity as a result of fewer distractions.
Along with that, it has many other benefits such as improved focus and concentration, increased efficiency, and a decrease in the amount of procrastination.
HOW THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE WORKS
One of the biggest advantages of the Pomodoro technique is that it’s very easy to understand and implement. You don’t need any complex things to make it work.
Step 1: Plan your daily tasks
Goal setting is an important step to becoming more productive. Before you start a study session, write down all the tasks you want to accomplish. Then prioritize them according to the urgency and estimate the time required to complete each task. Don’t worry if you can’t estimate the exact time you need to complete a task. Write down a rough estimate and over time you’ll develop this skill.
Step 2: Set a timer for 25 minutes and start working
Keep all the distractions away before you start a Pomodoro session. Keep your phone on silent. Work intensely and try to complete your goal.
For the Pomodoro technique to work, it is important that you focus on the single task at hand for the entire 25 minutes. This may seem very easy but you might find yourself struggling, especially in the beginning and if you’re not used to studying without distractions.
PRO TIP:
Keep a pen and paper handy and if any distractions pop into your head during the Pomodoro session, quickly jot them down and refocus on the task at hand,
STEP 3: When your Pomodoro session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what you completed
At the end of a session, cross out the things that you completed from your list. (Another reason why you should have goals written down – crossing them out feels awesome!).
If you’re in the flow state, you might not want to take a break. But the point of this technique is to avoid mental exhaustion by taking small breaks in between.
STEP 4: Take a short 5-minute break
Take a small break to refresh yourself so that you’re feeling good before your next session begins. Use this time to take a quick walk, stretch your muscles, do breathing exercises or energize yourself by drinking coffee or a glass of water.
During this break, don’t do any mentally straining tasks. This includes thinking about your studies, decision making or even looking at the screen. So avoid the temptation to check your phone or watch a quick YouTube video. Even though you might think it’s relaxing, it is actually the opposite. When you’re watching a video, your brain is highly stimulated, which increases the mental fatigue.
STEP 5: Repeat steps 2-4 for a set of 4 Pomodoros
Complete three more cycles of working for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.
STEP 6: Take a longer break of 30 minutes
After studying for 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break of up to 30 minutes.
That’s it. This is what the Pomodoro Technique for studying is all about. Seems easy, doesn’t it?
WHY IS THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE EFFECTIVE FOR STUDYING
Even though the technique is very popular, there is a surprising lack of scientific research on it. But here are some benefits of the Pomodoro technique that people have experienced.
1. Reduces distractions and increases your attention span
We live in a world of constant distractions. Emails, messages, social media notifications constantly interrupt our focus. When you are using the Pomodoro technique for studying, you are focusing your attention on the singular task at hand. For the interval of one Pomodoro, you put away all your distractions, get in the flow state and concentrate on achieving a single goal.
In this way, the Pomodoro technique retrains your brain to focus and increases your attention span. This automatically makes you more productive and is extremely useful in the long run.
Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. According to the study, people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time.
2. Increases efficiency
Another benefit of the Pomodoro technique is that it greatly improves your efficiency. In this method, you literally have a ticking timer to get things done. As a result, you feel the constant pressure of the ticking time constraint. This instills a sense of urgency and thereby increases your efficiency.
3. Helps overcome procrastination
Did you know that procrastination has little to do with self-control or lack of thereof? We procrastinate because it is daunting to start a big project that will require so much time and energy, with no immediate rewards. So instead of doing that task, we tend to use social media or other distractions for instant gratification.
So how does the Pomodoro technique help with this?
Well, by breaking the assignment or project into bite-sized, manageable chunks, you trick your brain into getting started. And when you finish the task at the end of the 25 minutes, you feel the dopamine that comes from it.
Dopamine generates feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and happiness. So you don’t need to wait days or weeks to feel the satisfaction of completion of a particular goal.
For example, you have a research paper due next month, then don’t try to start the whole thing. Instead, break it down into different steps – coming up with a topic, reading 10 papers related to it, and so on.
By doing this, you are focusing on one task for one Pomodoro at a time and not looking at the entire task, which can be quite daunting. This also creates a feeling of progress after every Pomodoro session.
4. Useful for prioritizing your time
It is called a time management technique so naturally, this is one of the advantages of the Pomodoro method.
We all have a limited number of hours in a day and the Pomodoro technique helps us make the best use of them.
When you know that you only have a specific time limit to complete a certain task, you automatically prioritize your tasks. This means you’ll start with the biggest or the most important problem and then move towards other less important things if you still have time.
So instead of using your time to complete an assignment that is due next month, you’ll focus on the work at hand, that needs to be completed urgently.
5. Helps you track your time
With the Pomodoro time management technique, you have a list of goals, and you cross out the ones that you complete after every Pomodoro session. And the planning before a session helps you to clearly see the finite time you have to complete different tasks.
With practice, you can manage your time more efficiently and put your efforts into the most important things first. Journaling is another useful way to track your time and measure your progress. Here are some useful journal spreads to help you get started.
QUICK TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF POMODORO TECHNIQUE
- Francesco Cirillo recommended the 25-minute work and 5-minute break cycle. But you can adjust the sessions according to your tasks and capabilities. If you’re just starting out and find it too difficult to concentrate for 25 minutes, set one Pomodoro to a shorter interval – maybe 20 minutes. You can slowly increase the interval.
- If you have longer tasks and have increased concentration levels, you can even extend the interval of one Pomodoro session to 45 minutes.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with the timings to find the one that’s best for you. That being said, it is recommended to not keep the sessions too short (less than 15 minutes) or too long (more than 50 minutes).
- Always keep a notepad handy and whenever you’re interrupted by a thought in the middle of a pomodoro session, quickly jot it down.
- If possible, write your task list on a piece of paper instead of having a digital list. Crossing out things or putting checkmarks as you complete them will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to complete more Pomodoros.
POMODORO TIMERS
It is recommended that you use a kitchen timer so as to stay away from digital devices that might distract you.
But if you don’t want to go completely old school, here are some amazing sites and apps you can use to implement the Pomodoro method without the fear of being distracted by them.
You can also read a post about aesthetic Pomodoro timers here.
1. Tomato Timer
Tomato Timer is free to use. You don’t even need to download anything. Just open the website on your browser and get started!
2. Pomofocus
Pomofocus is another free Pomodoro timer. You can open it on your browser, or even download the application if you want to. The app is compatible with both iOS and windows. Besides the Pomodoro timer, additional features such as statistics of your focused time as well as a scoreboard are available.
3. FocusBooster
FocusBooster is an app that is available on iOS and Android. You can set a Pomodoro timer on the app and also get a summary of how you spent your time.
4. Marinara timer
Marinara timer is a free website where you get to choose from three timers – Pomodoro, custom timer and kitchen timer. One useful feature of this website is that each timer has a unique URL, which you can share with your study partners or coworkers so that everyone is in sync.
5. Forest app
If you are often distracted by your phone then Forest app is perfect for you. This is not strictly a Pomodoro-focused app but I wanted to include it anyway because I love its concept.
You plant a tree and as the timer counts down, the tree grows on your screen. If you use your phone before the tree is fully grown, it dies. So you can set that time equal to your Pomodoro interval and not be distracted by your phone.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So in this post, you got to know about the Pomodoro technique for studying. Even though it was invented for studying, you can use it as a productivity technique to combat procrastination. It is an effective time management technique with multiple other benefits such as increased efficiency and concentration, lesser distractions and more!
Working in short, focused intervals and allowing your brain to recharge by taking short, frequent breaks is at the core of the Pomodoro technique.
You can also check out the Flowtime technique, which is a modified version of the Pomodoro technique, and how to achieve the Flow state for studying effectively.
Now for the most important question:
Does the Pomodoro technique for studying actually work
When I first started following the Pomodoro technique to boost my productivity, I was a bit skeptical about its effectiveness. But I’m glad to say that it has helped me immensely. When you start recording the tasks you complete in a certain time period you actually realize that your mind is wandering elsewhere and you’re not getting anything done!
Keeping my phone away for the Pomodoro interval has proved to be way more beneficial than i would’ve imagined (which just goes to show how addicted i was to my phone). I can definitely focus for longer periods now (even though I tend to slip a bit every now and then).
Initially, I started with a 25-minute study and 5-minute break model but now I study or work for 35 minutes and take a 8 minutes break. I’ve found that this works best for me. So that has been my personal experience with the Pomodoro technique for studying.
I hope it’ll help you overcome procrastination and study more effectively too.
Have you ever tried using the Pomodoro technique? Did this blog post inspire you to start using it? Let me know in the comments below!
Great post – very useful and informative! I’d heard about the Pomodoro technique before but I’m definitely going to try it now.