What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a “Pomodoro”, from the Italian word for “tomato”, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.

The technique has been widely popularized by dozens of apps and websites providing timers and instructions. Closely related to concepts such as timeboxing and iterative and incremental development used in software design, the method has been adopted in pair programming contexts.

How Does it Work?

The Pomodoro Technique encourages people to work with the time they have – rather than against it. It suggests that by breaking down work into short, timed intervals (traditionally 25 minutes) separated by short breaks (traditionally 5 minutes), you can keep focused on tasks and track your progress.

To use the technique, you decide on the task to be done and set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes). You work on the task until the timer rings, then take a short break (5 minutes is OK). Every four "Pomodoros" you should take a longer break (15–30 minutes).

Benefits of Using the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique helps you stay focused on tasks and track your progress. It also helps you identify potential distractions so that you can plan ahead for them. Additionally, it allows you to measure how long certain tasks take so that you can better estimate how long future tasks will take.

By using this technique, you can also become more aware of how much time you are spending on certain tasks. This can help you prioritize tasks more effectively and make sure that you are not wasting time on activities that are not important or necessary.