Hej hej!
Today I want to tell you a bit about the Pomodoro technique. It is a technique to manage time when working or studying alone. It consists of 4 working intervals of 25 minutes, with a pause of 5 minutes in between. Every 4 intervals, you take a longer break, of about 15-25 minutes. The key aspect of the Pomodoro Technique is avoiding distractions during the 25 minutes of work. For this purpose, clean your working space (desk, workshop, garden, etc.) and ensure that you will not have any distractions by turning off the notifications of your electronic devices (phones, tablets, closed unnecessary tabs, etc.). If you receive a call from a friend, for instance, you can tell them that you are working and that you will call them back in 25 minutes.
This technique will help you with:
- Avoiding interruptions and distractions
- Learning about your working habits: speed, difficulties, etc.
- Further understanding the time and effort that tasks require you.
- Dividing your work into small activities and tasks
- Improving your motivation to face a large project, which seems tedious to you, by looking at smaller tasks and goals.
- Remembering that breaks to drink water, walk and stretch out
I really recommend that you try this technique, which can be adjusted to your specific necessities and habits. For instance, you estimate that for a task you will need 45 minutes, and it is difficult or not convenient to further divide it into 2 tasks. No problem! Make the task for 45 minutes, and then you take a break. Another example can be if you are a very focused person that you are able to work and keep focus for hours without pauses. I would say, that is a priori great, but still, the Pomodoro technique can help you control your time. Besides, obligating yourself to take a break will be very useful for your health (preventing sedentarism), but also to put in perspective your work!
Cheers!
Celia