Pomodoro Technique: A Secret to Increase Your Working From Home Productivity

Many moms may not have the luxury of a ‘home office’ and working at home ‘thrust upon us’ as a result of the pandemic. Temporary solutions were probably a sofa or a kitchen table. Recent studies have shown that working from home has left many employees overwhelmed. For working moms, caring for children managing household duties, and so many other things pull at our attention that it can seem impossible to focus on the task at hand. After hearing so much chatter about how the Pomodoro Technique can increase working from home productivity, I gave it a try and realized it’s true! In this post, I will share with you this secret to effective time management.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique was created in the late 1980s by a university student named Francesco Cirillo, who wanted to learn how to stay focused while studying. The term Pomodoro, which means tomato in Italian, alludes to the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Francesco first used to keep track of his time. He documented his experiences in a book, and the method is now used all over the globe as a strategy to prevent distractions while working.

The idea is simple. When you need to do a task (really any task), set a kitchen timer to 25 minutes. You will work uninterrupted for these 25 minutes. No email. No text messages. And certainly no Netflix or Twitter. Work until that kitchen timer rings. This is called a “Pomodoro.”

You will then take a short 5-minute break to do something completely non-work-related. Have a coffee, take a short walk, and pet the cat. Just don’t do any work. Then start again! After every 4 Pomodoros, you should take a longer 15-30 minute break. This will give you some time to decompress. That’s it! Simple right?

Summary of the Pomodoro Technique

• Step 1: Make a to-do list and a timer (apps or clocks)
• Step 2: Set a timer for 25 minutes, and give 100% to your work until it goes off
• Step 3: When your time is up, cross off one Pomodoro and write down what you did
• Step 4: Next, take a 5-minute break
• Step 5: After four consecutive Pomodoros, take a longer 15- to 30-minute break so that you can have more time to rest.

What makes the Pomodoro Technique effective?

This method has the advantage of increasing daily productivity. It enables you to finish tasks, particularly significant ones that you would otherwise put off. These may require a lot of confusion or you may not even know how to accomplish them. Instead of doing them, you choose to use Twitter or Netflix to improve your attitude. Studies show that rather than attempting to tackle a large job all at once; it is more efficient to accomplish something little for a short amount of time. The Pomodoro Technique specifically instructs you to do this: break down your big tasks, projects, or objectives into smaller ones that can be completed in the next 25 minutes. By accomplishing the goals established, you will have more daily satisfaction.

Also, you have to focus on a single task for each pomodoro. That’s why with the Pomodoro Technique, you can avoid distractions like emails, team conversations, and social media updates. Every break is an opportunity to refocus and return to what you should be doing. Moreover, the Pomodoro Method practically eliminates your propensity for multitasking. Your mind tends to wander far less when you concentrate on one item and work under strong time constraints to finish it. Due to each allocated slot, it will also help you become much more mindful of your time.

How do we use the Pomodoro Technique to increase working from home productivity?

1. Plan out your Pomodoros in advance: Take your daily to-do list and estimate how many pomodoros you need for each task. Ensure your total number of pomodoros for the day doesn’t exceed 16 if you have an 8-hour workday.
2. Build excess Pomodoros into your daily schedule: Build in a buffer of 2-4 extra pomodoros in case a job takes longer than intended or arises unexpectedly throughout the day. If you don’t use them, these additional pomodoros may be utilized for learning or lower-priority tasks.
3. Get away from screens during breaks: If you use your computer for your pomodoro work sessions, take a break from screens when the timer goes off to rest your eyes and brain. Don’t use your phone or computer to check Instagram or Twitter. Stand up, move around, go outside, take exercises, do a meditation, fold clothes, clear off the kitchen table, clean fruits/ vegetables, or play with kids.
4. Use an app to enforce your pomodoros: There are a lot of apps for keeping track of your pomodoros. For example, Focus Booster, Focus To-Do, PomoDone, Focus Keeper, Focus List, Marinara Timer, etc. You can try to find what you like most. (I’m using Marinara Timer)
5. If someone interrupts you during the pomodoro, don’t worry. The beauty of Pomodoro is that you can make of it whatever you want. Just pause the timer if someone needs your attention. Try to turn off your instant messaging notifications during your pomodoro blocks.

So, give the Pomodoro Technique a try. And I think you will love it; it will make your day more productive than ever. Besides, to enhance every aspect of your work from home performance, you can use some of the best remote-working tools that I’ve introduced here.