The founder, Francisco Cirillo, faced time management difficulties in college life, such as procrastination, distraction and other problems, and thus came up with the idea of ​​creating an efficient time management method.

After many times of practice and exploration, the basic framework of the Pomodoro Technique was finally determined.

A standard Pomodoro is a 25-minute work period during which you focus on one task and do not allow for interruptions.

Each Pomodoro is followed by a short 5-minute break to relax and recharge.

After completing 4 Pomodoros, take a long break of 15 – 30 minutes to relieve fatigue from working long hours.

Based on the brain's attention concentration curve, within a period of time after starting work, attention gradually rises and reaches a relatively stable and efficient peak around 25 minutes.

Later, as time goes by, brain fatigue increases and attention begins to decline. Arranging a break at this time can help the brain readjust its state and prepare for the next productive period.

By dividing working time into fixed Pomodoro periods, tasks are broken down into manageable units, reducing psychological stress and procrastination tendencies when facing long-term tasks.

The setting of rest periods allows the brain time to process the information fragments accumulated during the working period, promotes the absorption and integration of knowledge, and also avoids the decrease in efficiency caused by continuous work.

Before the start of each day or week, thoroughly sort out the to-do tasks and record them in detail on the task list.

For each task, carefully estimate the number of Pomodoros required based on past experience and task difficulty.

Sort tasks according to their importance, urgency, or other personally set priority criteria.

Start the Pomodoro, start the 25-minute work countdown, and dedicate yourself to the chosen task.

If internal interference occurs during work, such as suddenly thinking of other things or thoughts drifting away, quickly record these interferences on a special "interference record list", and then immediately bring your attention back to the current task.

For external interference, such as other people's interruptions or emergencies, if it can be dealt with quickly (no more than 1-2 minutes), then solve it quickly and continue working; if it takes a long time to deal with it, mark the current Pomodoro as invalid, and after handling the interference event Restart the Pomodoro.

When the 25-minute Pomodoro goes off, stop working immediately and take a short 5-minute break. During this period, you can perform simple body stretching exercises, such as turning your head, stretching your arms and legs, etc., relax your eye muscles, such as closing your eyes to relax or looking far away, you can also drink water and eat some snacks to replenish energy.

After completing 4 Pomodoros, take a long rest period of 15 – 30 minutes. At this time, you can engage in more relaxing activities, such as walking, listening to music, and having brief exchanges with colleagues or friends, but you should avoid overindulging in entertainment that makes it difficult to re-enter work.

After each Pomodoro, record the progress of the task, such as completing a certain part of the task or a sub-task.

Count the difference between the actual number of Pomodoros used and the estimated number, and analyze the reasons for the difference, whether the task difficulty estimate is inaccurate or there are too many interferences during the work process.

Review the interference record list, summarize the types of interference and interference factors that occur more frequently, and think about coping strategies to reduce the impact of interference in subsequent work.

For large, complex tasks, use a top-down approach to decompose them. For example, writing a paper can be broken down into sub-tasks such as determining the topic, collecting information, writing an outline, completing the content of each chapter, revising and polishing, etc. Each sub-task can be further subdivided according to the actual situation until each sub-task can be divided into one or more sub-tasks. until completed within a Pomodoro time.

For some simple and highly related small tasks, they can be appropriately merged into a task unit suitable for completion within one Pomodoro time, so as to reduce the frequency of Pomodoro switching and improve overall efficiency.

Internal distraction management: Before working, you can calm down your thoughts and enter a state of concentration through meditation or deep breathing. When internal interference occurs, in addition to recording it, you can also try to give yourself a psychological hint, such as "focus on completing the current task first, and deal with this matter later" to strengthen your awareness of concentration.

External interference management: If the working environment is noisy, you can choose to wear noise-cancelling headphones or find a relatively quiet space to work. Regarding interruptions from others, you can inform yourself in advance of the working period during which you are doing the Pomodoro Technique. Unless there is an emergency, you hope not to be disturbed. You can also negotiate with your colleagues to set some "no interruption time periods" together.

Make appropriate fine adjustments to the length of the Pomodoro based on your personal biological clock and energy curve. For example, some people may be able to extend their Pomodoro time to 30 minutes in the morning when they have more energy, and shorten it to 20 minutes in the afternoon or evening when they are prone to fatigue.

Adjust the Pomodoro timer according to the nature of the task. For tasks that require a high degree of concentration and creativity, such as design and programming, you can appropriately extend the working period and reduce the frequency of breaks; while for some repetitive and mechanical tasks, you can shorten the Pomodoro time and increase the frequency of breaks. Number of breaks to keep work fresh and efficient.

Routine routine work such as document processing, data entry, and meeting arrangements in the daily office environment.

Reading, memorizing, doing exercises, writing papers, reviewing for exams and other tasks in the learning scenario.

In project management, including task decomposition, progress tracking, and team member work coordination, the Pomodoro Technique can make project progress clearer and more controllable.

Procrastinators: The fixed time limit and clear task breakdown of the Pomodoro Technique help break the inertia of procrastination and gradually establish the habit of completing tasks on time.

Time management novices: Its simple and easy-to-understand rules and clear operating procedures are easy for beginners to master and can quickly help them establish basic time management awareness and method systems.

People who are engaged in creative work but prone to fatigue: In creative work, such as painting, copywriting, etc., the resting mechanism of the Pomodoro Technique can allow the brain to relax regularly during the intense creative process, avoiding creativity caused by long-term continuous work. exhaustion and physical and mental fatigue, thereby maintaining high creative efficiency and quality.

Pomodoro: A timer with a simple mechanical structure. The time is set by twisting the spring. When the countdown ends, it emits a crisp ringing reminder. Its physical operation method can reduce the interference of electronic devices and help users better focus on work.

Paper notebook: Used to record task lists, Pomodoro usage, interference records, task progress and other information. It is convenient for viewing and summarizing analysis at any time. At the same time, the writing process also helps deepen memory and thinking.

Tomato Potato: integrates task management and Pomodoro functions. The interface is simple and intuitive. It supports task classification, label setting, data statistical analysis and other functions. It can also synchronize data with other calendar applications or to-do applications, making it convenient for users to use different devices. and use on the platform.

Forest Focus Forest: Motivate users to focus on work in a unique gamified way. Within the set Pomodoro time, if the user leaves the application interface, the virtual tree planted will wither. However, successfully completing the Pomodoro time will plant a tree that thrives. As time accumulates, the user can cultivate a tree of his own. Your own forest, this fun and fulfilling design effectively improves users’ motivation to stick to the Pomodoro Technique.