How to Use the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is a great way to break up your study sessions and stay focused on your studies. Here’s how it works and how you can use it to get ahead this exam season:
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro technique was invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s when he used a kitchen timer (shaped like a tomato (or ‘pomodoro’ in Italian)) to focus on his work during short intervals. Nowadays, 25-minutes of focused work is recommended followed by a short 5-minute break. This generates a sense of urgency and encourages concentration during study sessions. The 5-minute break is great for a refresh but is not long enough to provoke procrastination. After four 25-minute sessions, a longer break (half an hour) is taken.
Tips for using the Pomodoro Technique
Focus is key.
Remove distractions and concentrate on your task for the full 25 minutes, even if you’re not feeling motivated. It doesn’t matter if you only write a couple of sentences during that time; ensure you keep using the technique and your brain will begin to form a habit of focus once the timer has been set and you are concentrating on one specific topic.
Don’t skip breaks.
You might find that you enter a flow state as you work and that’s great! However, if you avoid taking breaks to carry on with your study session, you’ll likely find that you crash after an hour or so. It can then be difficult to get back into a focused mindset. Therefore, stop writing once the timer goes off and take a break. You can always dive straight back in during your next 25-minute slot feeling more refreshed!
Plan first.
Ensure you plan exactly what you need to do during each 25-minute session. The key to this is being specific but realistic. For example, instead of writing ‘English revision’ you might write ‘annotate chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby’. However, don’t plan to do too much in one study session. If you struggle with underestimating how long you will need per task, double the amount of time you think it will take! This will aid you in avoiding overwhelm and help you grasp how much time you’ll really need for each kind of activity.
Get active.
Use your breaks to get some fresh air, go for a walk, run around the block, do some stretches or another activity to get your muscles moving. Sitting at a desk for hours isn’t healthy and it can increase stress levels. Even getting up to make yourself a drink or going to the bathroom will help you feel more clear-minded and refreshed during your next study session.
Study according to your learning style.
Find out whether you are a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner and plan your revision activities to suit. For example, if you’re a visual learner, you might find that mind-maps, colourful notes and posters are best; for auditory learners, discussing topics with others, educational videos and reading aloud may help; kinaesthetic learners may learn best with practice papers, examples and case studies and discussing or role-playing scenarios with others. This isn’t to say that you can’t mix and match your revision activities regardless of your learning style! Find what works for you and practise it regularly.
Avoid overwhelm.
It’s okay if you don’t finish everything you planned to do in 25 minutes. Continue with it during another session and remember to double the time you think that particular activity will take next time to avoid overwhelm. If you have a lot to do and don’t believe you have enough 25-minute slots to get through everything, complete a RAG sheet to see which areas you need to focus on urgently or buy a personalised action plan for more details on exactly what you need to do and tips on how to get your dream grade!
Switch up the timings.
If you prefer longer study sessions and you rarely procrastinate at the start of a session, try doing 50-minute slots with a 10-minute break. After two of these, take a longer break. You can, of course, experiment with the timings and do whatever suits you best. Just make sure you’re doing focused work and making progress with your revision or assignments.
Use a productivity app.
Productivity apps are a great way to keep focused and track your progress. Just make sure to avoid doom scrolling on your phone before setting your virtual timer! Here are some useful pomodoro apps:
Forest – set a timer and manage access to apps to avoid distractions. You can plant virtual trees to track your activities, earn coins for productivity and even plant real trees! Forest is available on iOS, Android and as a chrome extension.
Focus Keeper – set a pomodoro timer, track your progress, get handy reminders and set goals. Focus Keeper – Time Management is available on iOS and Android.
Flow – set a pomodoro timer, get reminded of short breaks, track your progress and see session statistics. Flow – Focus & Pomodoro Timer is available on the App Store for iOS.
YouTube – if you like ambience or background noise, there are lots of videos that keep to the pomodoro timings and provide background noises. For example, you could listen to coffee shop ambience, a fireside study session or even movie-inspired ambiences (with or without music). Just be wary of any visual distractions. If you can, have the video open on a separate tab or use YouTube Premium to allow you to listen only.
How do you ensure you have a productive study session? Let us know in the comments!
