Using The Pomodoro Technique To Keep Your Focus
The Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that helps you focus and concentrate.
The Pomodoro Technique allows you to get more done in less time and work very efficiently.
The technique was first developed in the 80’s and is named Pomodoro (tomato in Italian) because of the cute tomato shaped kitchen timers that were all the rage for a while.
The idea is to utilize a timer to force yourself to focus and concentrate in short bursts. It’s a practice well worth trying for yourself.
Below are the basics for getting started:
To give this a try, you need two things.
You need to know what you should be working on. A bit of planning and a written out to-do list will come in very handy.
Then you need some sort of countdown timer. You a can use a kitchen timer, your watch, the count-down timer on your stove if you’re working at home, or an app on your phone. What you use doesn’t matter as long as you have access to a timer that you can set in 25 minute intervals.
Get comfortable at your desk, make sure you have everything you need, and then set a timer for 25 minutes.
Work completely focused on the task at hand for those 25 minutes. Don’t get up to go to the bathroom, don’t check email, and don’t let anything distract you from what you’re working on. Just buckle down and focus for those 25 minutes.
When the timer goes off, wrap up your thought and then get up and take a short break.
Walk away from what you’re doing. It’s helpful to actually get up and get some blood in your legs. Go get a glass of water, fix a cup of coffee, and if you have to check on those pesky emails.
Try not to spend more than 5 minutes on your “break”. Then set a timer and work completely focused for another 25 minutes.
Rinse and repeat until you’ve gotten through three to four sets of 25 minutes of working and 5 minute breaks. At this point it’s a good idea to take a longer break and get away from work for a bit.
Take 30 minutes to go grab lunch, take a short walk, or take care of a load of laundry if you’re working from home.
This break will give your brain a rest and gets you ready for the next session of three to four sets of “pomodori”.