If you are like any other hardworking person, you have probably experienced issues with balancing work and life. It can be difficult to manage all of your work without feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating. The Pomodoro Technique helps students, writers, lawyers, developers, parents, directors, teachers, and managers work with time to create a better work/life balance while eliminating burnout and managing distractions. The technique is even shown to train your brain to improve attention span and concentration.
So how does it work?
First, choose a task you need to complete and spend an uninterrupted 25 minutes working on that task, or one Pomodoro. Whenever your mind wanders to other tasks, write them down on a piece of paper and keep working.
After the 25 minutes of hard work, take a short break, around five minutes. You deserve it! Relax and reward yourself with any activity unrelated to work. Take a walk, get a cup of coffee, listen to music and meditate.
Once your mind is rejuvenated, return to the task at hand for another 25 minutes. Continue this cycle, taking longer breaks, 15-30 minutes, after four Pomodoros, until you complete the task.
After using the Pomodoro technique a couple times, you will start to learn how to use it to manage your time. One way to optimize a Pomodoro is to spend the first couple minutes reviewing what you have already accomplished. You can also set smaller goals to accomplish within each Pomodoro. Try using the Tomato Timer to keep track of your time.
Read more about the Pomodoro Technique here.
Learn how to reduce the hours you work by employing the Pomodoro Technique:
How to Work 40 Hours in 16.7 (The Simple Technique That Gave Me My Life Back)