Pomodoro effect…

and recently a colleague said to me they loved the pomodoro technique – which I have to say I was totally unaware of. The power of google enlightened me in minutes.

A pomodoro kitchen timer, after which the method is named – The Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. These intervals are named “pomodoros” the plural in English of the Italian word pomodoro (tomato), after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student. The method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility.

I can remember being fascinated by Ellen McArthur’s solo non stop around the world challenge. It was achieved by 10 naps a day with a third taken during daylight hours. The ideas that short naps could invigorate you enough, also makes me believe that a pomodoro break could have the same effect.  Working from home I often feel guilty about putting the washing on and carrying out domestic duties, however I have some of my most creative ideas whilst hanging out other peoples underwear.

The underlying principles of the pomodoro are as follows:-

1. Decide on the task to be done.
2. Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes)
3. Work on the task until the timer rings. If a distraction pops into your head, write it down, but immediately get back on task.
4. After the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
5. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 1.
6. Else (i.e. after four pomodoros) take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step

The timer is very significant it is like the starters gun and the ticking can provide momentum. Recording your pomodoros can be effective to calculate how long tasks take and how often you are distracted.



I am certainly going to invest in the tomato and mentally I will engage with the pomodoro…wish me luck!

For a workshop on managing priorities please do get in touch bev@nuggetsoflearning.co.uk