Pomodoro Technique – an effective way of increasing productivity

Efficient work time management is a very desirable skill in the job market, especially in the case of remote employees, which number – due to the coronavirus pandemic – increased much in the last few months. Knowing how to plan a work schedule and managing it in the way to achieve the best results are qualities that every valuable employee should possess. Check how the Pomodoro technique can help your employees in effective work time management.

There are many methods that are helping to focus and work effectively over given projects all day. People are not machines – they need breaks to get rest and refresh their minds. But it is very important to be reasonable about breaks – too many of them will not make people more effective but on the contrary: it is easy to lose the work-break balance. That is why we come with the solution: Pomodoro timer which will help people in your organization stay focused and productive all day.

Benefits of work time management

Smart managing of the work schedule is very important for employee efficiency. Many benefits come out of it and can improve the efficiency of the whole company or startup:

• decreasing stress level – when an employee knows what they can do and how much time does a given task needs to be done, they can plan their daily schedule in the way they do not have to be afraid they will not finish their tasks on time. Thanks to this employees can estimate the time needed for a given task and give the manager exact date of when they will finish the task.
• increasing self-confidence – employees who can efficiently manage their time feel more self-confident knowing how much of it they need for a given task. Thanks to having such information, they know what they can do and are more willing to take on additional tasks or completely new duties when they can cope smoothly with the existing ones.
• increasing understanding and control over actions – knowing how much time different tasks take, an employee can figure out which of them take too much of it and should be improved. The more detailed information, the easier it is to correct the shortcomings. It is a good idea to use a time tracking application like Calamari Clock In to help with registering work on the projects.
• increasing efficiency of all the organization – when your workers know how much time they need to do their job, they know their strong and weak sides and can make decisions that will be the best for their possibilities and increase their productivity. If everyone in your organization will follow the same method the overall efficiency of the organization will also increase.

What is the Pomodoro technique?

The Pomodoro method is a way of time management system created by Francesco Cirillo at the end of the XX century. The Pomodoro tool is based on using a clock with 25 minutes timer intervals – called pomodori – separated from each other by 5 minutes breaks. It is based on the assumption that taking frequent breaks have a positive impact on productivity.

The name "pomodoro" came from the kitchen timer that looked like a tomato which Cirillo used in the early experiments of the method. The Pomodoro tracker technique works well both when working, learning, and performing other activities that require intellectual effort.

These days there are many Pomodoro apps or Pomodoro timers online that allow you to set a time of work and break depending on individual needs. Using the Pomodoro timer app is very convenient, but you can also use the technique without any special time management system. Any online timer, or just regular alarm clock in your device, is enough.

How does the Pomodoro technique work?

The Pomodoro method is very simple and easy to implement in your daily routine. It does not require big preparations – just a list of tasks you want to do on a given day. The main assumption is to completely focus on a task for a given time without being distracted with any other things like Facebook's news or smartphone notifications. Every interval of intense work is separated with a short break when it is obligatory to stop working and get some rest.

The whole idea can be described in 6 simple steps:

1. Create the task list.
2. Set the Pomodoro timer app to let you know after 25 minutes of work over given task.
3. Turn off all the distractors, turn the clock, and focus on work.
4. When the alarm rings, stop working and take a 5 minutes break.
5. After taking a break, go back to work for another 25 minutes.
6. After 4 pomodoris take a longer break (15-30 minutes)

Photo taken from Unsplash

How to correctly use the Pomodoro technique?

Pomodoro can be your productivity timer no matter which app you will use. But when you decide which Pomodoro tool is the best for you, remember to stick to the rules:

1. Do not stop Pomodoro – if you start your first pomodori, you can not stop before 25 minutes timer rings.
2. If your task needs more than 5-7 pomodoris, divide it into smaller tasks.
3. If the task is shorter than one pomodori – add another short task to fill the whole pomodori's time.
4. The first pomodoris are the hardest – it is getting easier with time
5. The Pomodoro technique should not be used for dividing your free time!

Why is the Pomodoro method so effective?

Pomodoro is very popular for many reasons. The most important of them is the fact that it is much easier for people to concentrate and stay focused when they have to do it for a short period. Awareness of passing time for the task is also another cause that will make you work faster to finish before the deadline.

This method is also great for motivating yourself to begin the work. It is much easier to start working when you know you will not have to work for hours without any breaks. And those little breaks can be treated like a small price for every task you have done.

Other ways of work time management

Tracking time using the Pomodoro timer is a good way to improve your productivity, but you can do much more than that to take care of your work efficiency by getting more detailed information about how much time you spend on given tasks. You can do it using time management software like Calamari Clock In.

The system allows the employee to register the start and the end hour of working over a given project, thanks to which you can get data about how much time you need for different responsibilities. It will help you with creating a work time schedule and task lists for using the Pomodoro timer.

Summary

Pomodoro technique is very effective and simple to introduce in your organization method of work time management. It will give great results to your startup or company without overworking employees. You have to remember though, that when using the Pomodoro method, you have to eliminate all the distractors from your surroundings and consistently follow the rules – work for 25 minutes and take breaks for 5. Otherwise, you will not be able to achieve the best results.