I’m tapping my legs impatiently.
I look at my wrist. 12.05am.
My warm milk sits on my table.
‘Which line segment shows the height that corresponds to the given base of the triangle?’
Is it A, B or C?
‘School starts in 8 hours. I haven’t even finished these maths questions. I also need to complete my physics homework.’
*Notification*
‘My friend just messaged me about their new shoes. I’ll search up the price on Ebay. I can get it for cheaper.’
‘Oh wait, did I just accidentally tear the bottom of my book? I’ll go find some sticky tape to fix it.’
Does this sound like you when you are trying to study?
I empathise with you. Maintaining concentration is difficult.
If this sounds like you, the Pomodoro Technique is your best friend.
While there is little and ambiguous research to back up our attention span is decreasing, what we do know is that there is just so much distraction around us.
So, how can capitalise upon the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ to boost our productivity?
It’s quite simple:
How Will It Boost Your Productivity?:
- Short Breaks increase your ability to concentrate. As a result of increased concentration, your quality of work will also increase. Research shows that after a while, you begin to lose focus on the task you are completing, and as a result, your performance also declines. Focus on the feeling of your tongue inside of your mouth. How does it feel? Before your attention was brought to your tongue, were you actively thinking about it? Chances are, you weren’t. Our brains gradually stop registering a sight, sound or feeling if the stimulus remains the same over time. The brain becomes “habituated” to the feeling, and it is perceived as unimportant.
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Therefore, the Pomodoro Technique allows your brain to briefly reset and also may enhance the quality of your work !
- It helps beat procrastination: Remember the message I got from my friend? I ended up reading it and ignoring my maths questions. Her new shoes were very sparkly, and I ended up on a shopping spree looking for similar shoes online. I checked my watch again. 1.45am. My milk was cold by then, and I still had so much to do. What was I doing when checking my messages and going on a shopping spree? I was avoiding my work. If I had used the Pomodoro technique, I would have gotten a bit closer to finishing my work. Research shows that you are more likely to do a task if you break it up into smaller bits. You are likely to be less overwhelmed and start on the task.
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Therefore, the Pomodoro technique allows you to beat procrastination by splitting your tasks into smaller segments.
If you would like to learn about the Pomodoro technique in depth, here is a PDF made by Fransesco Cirillo (the person who popularised the technique):
http://friend.ucsd.edu/reasonableexpectations/downloads/Cirillo%20–%20Pomodoro%20Technique.pdf
Tips:
1. ) Stay away from screens in your 5 minute breaks
2.) Here are some things you can do in your 5 minute break:
- 5 -minute stretch
- Go to the Bathroom
- Water Plants
- Go outside in the sun
- Make yourself a quick drink/snack
[qsm quiz=1]