Boosting your productivity- Using the Pomodoro technique to make your study time more manageable

The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity technique where you use a timer to break your study time into smaller chunks. It works with the natural ebb and flow of your attention span and keeps you on-task.

The structure of the Pomodoro is that using a timer, you work for a set period of time and then take a short, timed break. The traditional timing is 25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break. You would then repeat the work period followed by another 5-minute break.

In practice, it looks like this:

  • Use a timer or phone app to track your time
  • Study/work for 25 min
  • Take a 5-minute break
  • Repeat!

Using the Pomodoro Technique

Here is some information to help you use the Pomodoro Technique:

  • The cycle repeats 4-6 times. You can choose how long you devote to study time, but typically, you’d repeat the work-break cycle 4-6 times. This adds up to 2-3 hours.
  • You can choose the times. While Pomodoro typically uses 25 minutes of work followed by 5-minute breaks, you can choose whatever length of time best suits your study style. You could do a 50-minute work period with a 10-minute break in between.
  • You can use a timer app. You can use a mobile or web app as an easy way to time your work periods and study period. Pomodor is a good free web app you can try, and other options are available online.
  • Avoid making breaks fun. If you watch TikTok or YouTube videos on your breaks, it will be challenging to step away from them and get back to work. Don’t do anything that you would rather be doing than your work because the break will end up being a little bit too long.
  • Give yourself a “body break”. Get away from the screen, go use the washroom, get a drink of water, walk around, stick your head outside, get some fresh air. Use the break to refocus and get re-energized.

Benefits

Here are some of the ways that the Pomodoro technique can help:

  • It can help you concentrate. People cycle through levels of alertness, and many can’t concentrate for long periods of time. The Pomodoro technique builds little breaks into the plan so you can give your brain a break while not stepping away from your work entirely.
  • It helps avoid procrastination. Getting started can sometimes be the hardest part. With the Pomodoro technique, you’re setting an intention to study or work. You’re sitting down, starting a timer, and saying I am starting right now.

Want to learn more strategies? Check out our other study skills tips.