I’ve been trying the pomodoro method recently. I believe the canonical set of instructions is
- 25 minute work session
- 5 minute break
- repeat, extending the break to 20 minutes every four cycles
The idea is to cut down on burnout and be able to dedicate time to full, 100% concentration. The name comes from the Italian word for tomato, which is what the original inventor’s kitchen countdown timer was presumably shaped like.
I think the idea is pretty cool. In a vaccum, I have the issue of hyper-focusing when things get interesting, which leaves me feeling drained. Or I don’t want to start work I perceive as stressful. So I usually end up taking long breaks or procrastinating work. With the tomato idea, I can instead tell myself “pspspsps it’s only a short work time it won’t be an extended length of Bad don’t worry you’re so okay” which is helpful for motivation.
There exists another interesting perspective toward this rigid timeline, which I’ll explain via a quick side example. A friend once mentioned to me that they always take the stairs, especially when an elevator is available, because it’s one less decision they have to make. Wowee! Cool! This principle applies to this work-rest scheduling issue for me. Even if I feel like I want more or less time to work than 25 minutes, or if I feel like I want more or less time to rest than five, I take the predetermined time anyways. There’s some inefficiency where working more or resting less gets more work done, but I gladly trade that for staving off burnout and the mitigating the undesired sections of the contingency table: wanting to work less or rest longer.
I track the time bounds with my analog watch, which is great because I just look for the minute hands reaching the top and bottom of the watch face. I usually skip long breaks or make them 30 minutes long to fit everything into watch-face-compatible blocks. I often also hide the clock widget on my laptop’s taskbar so I’m not peeking at it too often—I can just look at my watch instead. I find I work best when there’s as few moving parts (not controlled by me) on my screen as possible.
As a final note, I use the Hank Green’s Focus Friend app to additionally motivate me to keep on track. It also helps me get out of an unproductive rut by setting a quick five minute “focus” period and using that to just stand up and start moving. That is, anytime I’m taking a too-long break, perhaps after a meal or before I leave the study lounge to go get ready before bed, etc etc.