Mastering Time Management: The Pomodoro Technique

In today’s world, productivity is vital; we’re expected to keep track of many goals and expectations. Time management to achieve this is an essential ingredient for success. I’ve worked on a lot of projects while maintaining a full-time job. You can work 12-14 hour days, but you’re bound to become fatigued or burnout. So how do we keep being productive while being healthy? In the late 1980s, Francesco Cirillo developed the Pomodoro Technique.

The idea is that you break projects into smaller tasks and assign a “pomodoro” to them. A Pomodoro is a 25-minute interval where you mute your notifications and work uninterrupted with your task. Once the timer has stopped, you take a five-minute break. Once the break ends, you continue with the 25-minute interval twice, taking a five-minute break between each Pomodoro. Once you have completed three pomodoros, take a more extended break for 15-30 minutes. You’re done when you have completed three pomodoros and taken a long break. The cycle has been completed, and you start again.

Let’s use this as an example; I’ve used Pomodoro for this blog post.

Pomodoro 1 (25 minutes): Start with writing a draft about the Pomodoro technique

5-minute break

Pomodoro 2 (25 minutes): Look for spelling and grammar errors and check the readability. Add more context.

5-minute break

Pomodoro 3 (25 minutes): Upload an article photo, write a summary, and publish to social media

15-30 minute break

So what are the benefits of doing this?

1. Improved focus and attention. By working in short and focused intervals, you reduce distractions and increase concentration
2. Enhanced productivity. With greater focus comes more productivity, and you can accomplish more in less time.
3. Reduced mental fatigue. Regular breaks in the workday help you be more alert and fresh during the day
4. Better work-life balance. Pomodoro promotes a healthy work-life balance by allowing frequent breaks and avoiding overworking
5. Time Management Skills. Pomodoro helps you estimate how long tasks will take and how to allocate time better when completing them.