The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a kitchen timer to break work into intervals, typically 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, from the Italian word for tomato, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used as a university student.The technique has been widely popularized by apps and websites providing timers and instructions. Closely related to concepts such as timeboxing and iterative and incremental development used in software design, the method has been adopted in pair programming contexts.Regular breaks are taken, aiding assimilation. A 10-minute break separates consecutive pomodoros. Four pomodoros form a set. There is a longer 20–30 minute break between sets.The technique aims to reduce the effect of internal and external interruptions on focus and flow. A Pomodoro is indivisible; when interrupted during a Pomodoro, either the other activity must be recorded and postponed (using the inform – negotiate – schedule – call back strategy) or the Pomodoro must be abandoned.After task completion in a Pomodoro, any remaining time should be devoted to activities, for example:Review your work just completed.1. Review the activities from a learning point of view (ex: What learning objective did you accomplish? What learning outcome did you accomplish? 2. Did you fulfill your learning target, objective, or outcome for the task?3. Review the list of upcoming tasks for the next planned Pomodoro time blocks, and start reflecting on or updating them.Specific cases should be handled with common sense: If you finish a task while the Pomodoro is still ticking, the following rule applies: If a Pomodoro begins, it has to ring. It’s a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity for overlearning, using the remaining portion of the Pomodoro to review or repeat what you’ve done, make small improvements, and note what you’ve learned until the Pomodoro rings.The original technique has six steps:1. Decide on the task to be done.2. Set the Pomodoro timer (typically for 25 minutes).3. Work on the task.4. End work when the timer rings and take a short break (typically 5–10 minutes).5. If you have finished fewer than three pomodoros, go back to Step 2 and repeat until you go through all three pomodoros.6. After three pomodoros are done, take the fourth Pomodoro and then take a long break (typically 20 to 30 minutes). Once the long break is finished, return to step 2.Using the Pomodoro Technique for ADHD may be helpful because it structures tasks into short bursts of focus time. It also sets a time limit for work, which can help prevent hyperfocus on a specific task for too long.If you experience this and want to manage your time more productively, the Pomodoro Technique can help by giving you a visual and audible signal to pause for a few minutes to rest, recharge, and refresh.
Pomodoro Timer
