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The Pomodoro Technique can help lessen distractibility and keep you on-task.
Here's how you do it:
Why does this work?
Here's how you do it:
- Choose a task to be accomplished.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on the task until the timer rings. You've completed one pomodoro!
- Take a 5-minute break.
- After you've completed 4 pomodoros, take a longer break (25 minutes).
Why does this work?
- The Pomodoro Technique combats distractibility by combining goal-setting with a time limit. When you know you have a finite period to complete a task, it's easier to focus.
FAWN'S BONUS TIP: I've also found this technique helpful for mitigating the effects of hyperfocus. "But Fawn!" you say. "Why would I want to break my concentration when I'm 'in the zone' on a task?"
Well, maybe you don't. But there are certain computer tasks that I can easily do for 3-4 hours without a break. Sitting in a chair for that long is terrible for my body and my brain. (Remember, physical activity is important for your brain!)
I've found that if I honour the 5-minute breaks by getting up from my chair to do some stretching and refill my water glass, I can finish the task feeling refreshed, rather than exhausted and stiff. That means I have the energy to do another task afterward.
Adjust the pomodoros and break times to suit you. For teens, whose brains are not yet mature, I may recommend 15- or 20-minute work periods. Sometimes, I'm so eager to get back to a task that I can manage only a 2-3 minute break. That's still better than none. Make the Pomodoro Technique work for you!
(Why is it called the Pomodoro Technique? "Pomodoro" is Italian for "tomato". When the technique was first developed by Francesco Cirillo, he used a timer shaped like a tomato!)
Well, maybe you don't. But there are certain computer tasks that I can easily do for 3-4 hours without a break. Sitting in a chair for that long is terrible for my body and my brain. (Remember, physical activity is important for your brain!)
I've found that if I honour the 5-minute breaks by getting up from my chair to do some stretching and refill my water glass, I can finish the task feeling refreshed, rather than exhausted and stiff. That means I have the energy to do another task afterward.
Adjust the pomodoros and break times to suit you. For teens, whose brains are not yet mature, I may recommend 15- or 20-minute work periods. Sometimes, I'm so eager to get back to a task that I can manage only a 2-3 minute break. That's still better than none. Make the Pomodoro Technique work for you!
(Why is it called the Pomodoro Technique? "Pomodoro" is Italian for "tomato". When the technique was first developed by Francesco Cirillo, he used a timer shaped like a tomato!)