
However, for tasks that I do not enjoy, such as answering email, dealing with paperwork, and other detail related work, I prefer the 25-minute Pomodoro sessions.Īccording to Zahariades ( 2015) the efficacy of the Pomodoro Technique is due to four principles: Those are activities I enjoy and require significant cognitive load. For example, I have discovered that I prefer 50-minute Pomodoro sessions followed by a 10-minute break when I am working on course development, research projects, or article writing. Some people find that 25 minutes is not an efficient timeframe for them to work on a task. It is possible to divide your day up into several Pomodoro sessions with breaks in between them. Then you begin your next 25-minute Pomodoro session, followed by a 5-minute break. When the 25 minutes are completed, you take a 5-minute break. To start a Pomodoro session you set your timer to 25 minutes and begin work. Recommendations for those new to the Pomodoro Technique generally suggest Pomodoro sessions of 25 minutes. Next, decide on the length of the Pomodoro session you will complete. Then, prioritize the tasks (Carter, n.d.).

First, create a list of tasks you need to complete and estimate how much time it will take you to finish each one.

The basic concept behind the Pomodoro Technique is the creation of focused, timed work sessions during which you focus on a single task. However, Pomodoro timer apps are available for computers, tablets, and smart phones. For me the physical presence of the timer and the audible sound of time passing serve as constant reminders to stay focused on the task I have chosen. I can hear the tick, tick, tick of the timer as I progress through my task. Based on suggestions from Zahariades ( 2015) and Carter (n.d.) I purchased a mechanical kitchen timer that sits on my desk while I am working. To begin using the Pomodoro Technique, you also will need to have a timer. So, his time management strategy became known as the Pomodoro Technique. Tomato, in Cirillo’s native Italian, is pomodoro. Cirillo ( 2013) decided on a simple tool to help him with time management-a kitchen timer-which happened to be in the shape of a tomato. I have been using it for the past several months and found it to transform my work.įirst, let me explain why it is called the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is deceptively simple yet extremely powerful. How can a tomato or even a lot of tomatoes help increase an individual’s productivity? The answer lies in the Pomodoro Technique, a time management strategy developed by Francesco Cirillo while he was a graduate student in Italy during the 1980s (Carter, n.d.
