Overwhelmed? Try this! - Part 3 - Pomodoro

In this series, I describe all of the different methodologies I employ and encourage others to try to feel less burnt out, more focused and ultimately feel better during their working day. Most of these are also job-agnostic so non-technical people - feel free to read on!

What?

The Pomodoro Technique is a way of micromanaging your time for focused tasks. If you're employed in any field which requires dedicated concentration then you can employ this technique. It works especially well if you suffer from any condition which prevents you from concentrating... massively exaggerated nod to ADHD

Follow these basic steps for a "Pomodoro":

1. Pick a task you need to complete - remembering One-task-at-a-time
2. Set a timer - For at least 15 minutes but it can be anything up to 30 minutes - it's probably best to stick to 5 minute increments
3. Work on your task and only this task during this time (more on this later)
4. Once the timer goes off - stop working for 5 minutes
5. Rinse and repeat steps 1 to 4. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break, perhaps double or triple your 5 minute break.

I personally like to perform 25 minute Pomodoro and I use a software based Pomodoro timer located here for Windows. Here's one for MacOS and one for Linux. Or you can buy a physical timer or use a timer on your phone.

In order to achieve peak concentration, I also make sure I mute all of my OS, IM and phone notifications during this time. Not distracting yourself from your timed task is absolutely key to ensuring the success of this technique.

...BUT! as important as achieving your peak concentration during the task is the cooldown period. Make a coffee, go outside for 5 minutes, check the stock market (if that relaxes you!?). The important thing is that you honour the 5 minute cooldown by giving yourself a dopamine hit which is absolutely not work related.

Why?

This technique is so effective because:

1. You're totally focused on a single task at a time with no context switching
2. There's a low-bar of entry - it's a really easy technique to learn and adhere to
3. Time-blocking tasks into chunks actually makes difficult or long tasks easier to process and digest
4. You can avoid burnout
5. You can avoid decision fatigue
6. It's easier to forecast and plan your work when it's compartmentalised
7. You could find it easier to get started on a task

For software engineers I've found it's also beneficial because:

1. I've found it acts like a Rubber Duck Debugging-esque technique in the way that problems are often much more obvious post-Pomodoro
2. It will improve your estimates if operate in an Agile manner because you can class user stories or tasks by how many estimated Pomodoros they will take