The Pomodoro Method is a strategy invented in the 90s by Francesco Cirillo who named it after a tomato-shaped timer that he used in tracking his work when he was in University. Since then, this has been used countless times by students and many other professionals and has proven to be very effective.
The Pomodoro Method is used to breakdown large tasks into timed intervals which are separated by short breaks. Apparently, humans have a very limited focus and attention span. According to research, the average time that people can pay attention to anything is between 15 to 30 minutes only. After that, we start to lose focus.
To do the Pomodoro Method, you'll need a timer. You can use the timer on your phone or computer.
How to use the Pomodoro Method:
First, choose a task that you need to accomplish. This could either be studying an entire chapter from a book or working on a physical project. Next is set your timer to 25 minutes. After starting the timer, focus on working on the task at hand for the entire 25 minutes and avoid doing anything else during this time period. After the 25 minutes are up, set your timer to 5 minutes, and spend this time for a break.
In this short break, you should get up and do some stretching, drink some water, or get some fresh air outside. You could also use this break to go to the bathroom. A 25-minute working session and a 5-minute break are called a set. After doing 4 sets of Pomodoro cycles, you can reward yourself with a longer break for 30 minutes.
Doing the Pomodoro Method will allow you to give all your attention and focus on those 25 minutes of work and enjoy the short breaks that you get. By consistently doing this for a certain time period, you can be sure that you can cover a lot of study material and build momentum. On your breaks, avoid checking any social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube as these sites will use up your attention as well. Reserve all your mental energy for the task you are aiming to accomplish.
Pomodoro cycles are not limited to a setup of 25 minutes and 5 minutes break. You can change the timer based on your preferences. If you think you can be more consistent with an extra break then you can probably do 25 minutes of work and 10 minutes of break. Or if you are the kind of person who has a longer attention span, you can probably opt to change your Pomodoro Cycles to 45/10 or even 50/10.
The good thing with the Pomodoro Method is once you've started using it, you can build a really good momentum and study for longer hours. This study technique is most commonly used by students from Med School.
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