Tomato timing

The Pomodoro Technique has been helping my productivity.

25 minutes of solid work. Ding! 5 minutes of taking a break. Ding! Rinse and repeat. Ding! Take a longer 30 minute break.

This is essentially the framework of the Pomodoro Method. Developed by student Francesco Cirillo when he decided to use a tomato-shaped (Pomodoro in Italian) timer to focus, it is a helpful way to channel your productivity. 

How does it work? You can choose how long your focused study periods are (but often, 20 or 25 minutes is ideal), but the important part is that you use these times to buckle down, and get serious work done. It's the knowing that there is a short break imminent that forces you to use this time wisely, as it has a set time limit. After this period is complete, and your timer goes off, you can take a five minute or so break. Use this to go for a walk, stretch your legs, maybe a quick clean, or a phone scroll. And then, refreshed, you will complete another Pomodoro block. 

After around three or four of these blocks, you can take an extended break, of maybe half an hour. This time can be used to properly relax, to eat lunch, watch a movie, or hang out with your dog. 

Personally, I find having dedicated spurts of intense focus in a method that works very well for my productivity. It forces me to take breaks, but also to use the time without distractions. 

Some other Pomodoro tips from Todoist are:

• Break down bigger tasks into smaller tasks, that can be completed in each Pomodoro session. This will make your work more manageable.
• Combine all small tasks together, so that way you can smash them all out in one Pomodoro.
• Do not break the Pomodoro with notifications, calls etc. This must be a focused unit of time.

It is also important that you take the breaks when the timer goes off. Because, even if you are feeling motivated to keep going, it means that the next Pomodoro session will be just as productive, rather than you working until you're at the point of exhaustion. 

If you think that this method will be helpful for you, there are many free apps and websites that can act as your timer. You can also try some that block out your social media apps whilst you are in your Pomodoros.