Managing Productivity and Burnout with the Pomodoro Technique
I have long struggled with balancing my time right between work and play; there are days where I can get through 9 to 10 hours of work with few snack and comfort breaks in between, and then there are days where even the simplest task feels like bracing myself to climb Mount Everest.
With Covid-19 forcing many of us to work from home since March, our work and free time have blended together in ways that it makes it difficult to fully concentrate on even the simplest tasks at hand. That is where the Pomodoro Technique has come in extremely handy to help keep me on track without feeling too burnt out or overwhelmed by the end of each day.
So what do tomatoes have to do with productivity?
An Italian university student by the name Francesco Cirillo developed this method back in the 1980s. Inspired by the tomato-shaped kitchen timer, he used this to create 25 minute intervals, or Pomodoros, where he would dedicate this time to a single important task at hand. At the end of the 25 minute cycle, he would then set the timer to 3 to 5 minutes - this is where he could take a short break before returning to the next Pomodoro cycle. The idea is to repeat these 25/5 minute cycles 4 times (so 2 hours in total) before you then go on to take a longer break.
This tool translates well no matter what your profession or tasks; I first came across this tool while working as a sales executive, and it helped me reach my call targets more effectively than any other method. This was because I was able to break my day up into smaller chunks, focusing on calling certain groups of clients in each Pomodoro cycle, versus trying to call as many prospects as possible between entering the office in the morning until my lunch break. I also became more mindful of taking time out for myself, whether it was to quickly nip to the loo to freshen up, grab a coffee, or just get some fresh air before my next cycle.
During lockdown, I have even started using this technique for household chores, such as vacuuming and laundry, as there is a great sense of fulfilment when the timer goes off at the 25 minute mark, and you feel like you have really earned the break! It has also stopped me from bad habits I realised I had started developing during lockdown, such as clearing up the dishwasher while I should be making client calls, and allowed me to take back control of my day and time.
There are now several apps and extensions you can use to incorporate the Pomodoro Technique; I am personally a big fan of this Chrome extension as most of my tasks are on my laptop. There are also apps, such as PomoDoneApp which integrates with other productivity tools such as Trello and Wunderlist.
I would recommend using your first Pomodoro cycle to create a to-do list of all the important tasks you have to complete for the day, or the next few days. Once you have this plan (and the all-important 5 minute break to chill out), you simply need to follow the Pomodoro to help you achieve your daily goals.
About the Author:
Fatema Hashim is an account manager at Expedia and a freelance writer, who has a keen interest in mental health awareness and is always on the lookout of tips and tricks to maintain a positive mindset.
Follow her on LinkedIn for updates and articles.
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