Pomodoro technique is a concurrency of unproductiveness

We all know what the Pomodoro technique is. You work on a task for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, and then work for another 25 minutes, and so on. (Read more: Pomodoro Technique - Wikipedia).

We also know that when we are in the flow state and get distracted, it takes us about 25 minutes to refocus on the original task or get back into the flow state. (Resources: Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime - Scientific American, The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress, No Task Left Behind? Examining the Nature of Fragmented Work )

So, after using deductive reasoning I can verify following conjecture:

You spend 25 minutes to get into the flow state and focus on a task.

Then!

You should take a five-minute break. In those five minutes, you will be upset when reading the news, excited about a cool pic on Instagram, annoyed by a comment in your Twitter and also upbeat after watching a Tiktok video.

Then!

You spend another 25 minutes trying to refocus and get distracted by the Pomodoro timer....

Last Words

I don't think this technique is bad or wrong. I found that I am very productive if I set the Pomodoro timer to 45 or even 90 minutes!

Moreover, I don't check my smartphone during the 5-10 minute break. I can stretch out, water my plants, make a cup of tea, look out the window - in other words: do nothing.

At some point I will check my smartphone, but I try to do so after two sessions.

Like diets (or programming), I try not to follow all the "rules". I experiment, take notes, and try to figure out what works best for me.

Attributes

Thanks to Henry & Co. on Unsplash.

​