Productivity Hack: The Pomodoro Technique

Breaking down your workload into smaller tasks is a great way to manage the many different balls you juggle in your academic career. One technique we like to suggest is the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique relies on using shorter time intervals with small breaks in-between rather than long hours of uninterrupted work.

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s while studying as an undergraduate, struggling to figure out how to accomplish more in a limited amount of time. Cirillo got his inspiration for the name from his pomodoro (Italian word for tomato) kitchen timer.

This technique works well because the timer creates a sense of urgency. It inspires the individual working to get as much done in a given amount of time. The physical act of setting a timer, rather than just setting a time mark, also makes the work period more concrete. The buzzer or timer going off at the end of each pomodoro announces a reward or break— which is exciting to work towards.

These smaller efficiency-packed sessions help break up the tasks and make the workload feel less daunting. It also helps to avoid long working sessions that tire you out and fail to result in productivity.

For this technique, you don’t need any fancy tools All you need besides a timer of sorts is a piece of paper and a pen. There are also apps that can help you with this technique, check out Pomodoro with white noise or Focus Keeper-Time Management.

We hope this technique works well for you. Feel free to share with others as you work through this application season!