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Productivity methods and focus

Pomodoro technique

A focus method that splits work into 25-minute rounds separated by short breaks, with a longer break after every four rounds.

What It Means

The Pomodoro technique is a way of managing your time: you work on one task for a set interval, usually 25 minutes, then take a short break of about 5 minutes. Each interval is called a pomodoro. After four pomodoros you take a longer break of 20 to 30 minutes.

Try It: A 25-Minute Pomodoro Clock

A working Pomodoro clock. Press start, work on one task until it reaches 0:00, then take the break it offers.

Focus round25:00
Rounds finished0

Once the fourth round is done, step away for 20 to 30 minutes.

How People Say It

  • "Give me two pomodoros and I'll be done."
  • "I'm mid-pomodoro, can it wait?"
  • "That report took six pomodoros."

The Breakdown

How to do it

  1. Pick one task.
  2. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
  3. Work only on that task until the timer rings.
  4. Take a short break of about 5 minutes.
  5. After four rounds, take a longer break of 20 to 30 minutes.

Try it today. Pick the task you've been putting off the longest and give it a single round. Stop when the timer rings, even if you're on a roll, so you finish wanting to come back.

Versions people use

VersionWorkBreak
Classic25 minutesAbout 5 minutes
Longer focus50 minutes1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more minutes
Short starter10 minutes2 minutes

The longer and shorter versions are common changes people make to fit their day. They aren't part of the original method.

Where It Comes From

Francesco Cirillo developed the technique in the late 1980s while studying at university, timing himself with a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. Pomodoro Technique is a registered trademark of Francesco Cirillo.

Good to Know

The break is part of the method. Skipping it to keep going tends to make later rounds harder.

FAQ

Do the rounds have to be 25 minutes?

The original method uses 25 minutes. Many people adjust it to fit their work, but 25 is the standard.

What should I do during the break?

Step away from the task. Stand upDaily scrumThe 15-minute Scrum event where the Developers meet each working day to check progress toward the Sprint Goal and adjust their plan. See more, get water, or look at something other than a screen.

Who invented the Pomodoro technique?

Francesco Cirillo, in the late 1980s, while he was a university student.

Do It in Buhata

Tasks

List today's tasks in Buhata and work through them one round at a time.

Open Buhata

Related Terms and Categories

  • Deep work

    Focused, distraction-free time spent on a mentally demanding task, a term from author Cal Newport's 2016 book Deep Work.

  • Eat the frog

    A time management rule from Brian Tracy's book Eat That Frog!: do your biggest, most important task first thing in the morning, before easier work.

  • Procrastination

    Putting off a task you intended to do, even though you expect the delay to leave you worse off, often to escape how the task makes you feel.

Productivity methods and focus

Sources

Pomodoro Technique, Wikipedia (creator, dates and intervals); pomodorotechnique.com

Last updated .