Pomodoro: It’s Time to Work

Yu Ying Yu, guest writer

Another school year has started and students are back into the swing of things with classes and homework. The transition from online back to physical school has brought upon a wave of chaos to schedules and productivity.

Personally, I have experienced and heard my peers’ experiences when it comes to work ethic this year, and a majority agree that it has been a difficult start to the year so far. This brought the conclusion that others likely share the same struggles, which is why a good recommendation to attempt to improve work habits is to use something called the Pomodoro technique.

The Pomodoro technique is a strategy for time management, and it involves breaking work time into sections. You take a task you want to do and begin a cycle, which is 30 minutes of work with 5 minute breaks in-between. After 4 cycles, you can take a longer 15-30 minute break and repeat until the work is finished. It is also completely adjustable so individuals can find what works best for them.

One of the reasons why the Pomodoro method is effective is because it utilizes short 5 minute breaks. When people sit for long hours, it leads to the brain wandering and focus being distorted due to the cognitive boredom from not being stimulated. The breaks allow for a short moment to break the chain of boredom and maintain a smooth line of concentration.

Another reason why Pomodoro is effective is that it reduces the stress of having to manage time yourself. Perception of time is important when managing projects and deadlines because seeing a due date as something that is inevitably ticking down toward you would cause a great deal of stress. Instead, it’s easier to think about time in a sequence, and all the things that would lead up to the deadline. It sets up a schedule to follow and to adjust as you please. In addition to that, it can be easy to be overwhelmed when looking at all the time needed to finish, but the cycles allow for it to be sectioned into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

Pomodoro is an effective technique of time management that may prove to be useful this school year to adjust back to work from digital to physical. It prevents cognitive boredom and encourages better time management.

Give it a try and unlock your inner focus!”