The Pomodoro technique is effective because you must focus on a task for only 25 minutes. A refreshing break of five minutes then frees you for a break. The Pomodoro break is as essential to your productivity as the Pomodoro work session before that. This article will suggest a few ideas on using the gap of five (or fifteen) minutes to recharge your mind before the Pomodoro timer rings again.
What Is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro break tells us when to stop and hit reset on our brains. It’s important to mention that Pomodoro sessions and breaks need not follow the 25 minutes of focus and five minutes of break rule. They can be whatever you decide. This flexibility makes the Pomodoro techniqueone of the best strategies to optimize your work with relaxation.
Note that these tips are subjective; you can choose what works for you. Also, different activities can need different spans of Pomodoro break time.
Follow the 20/20/20 Eye Rule
The 20/20/20 eye rule is a piece of essential medical advice to prevent eye strain. It’s one of the ergonomic habits for all of us who spend a lot of time staring at digital screens. The formula is simple: For every 20 minutes you look at a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Idea:you’re able to do this after every Pomodoro session, and there are many ways to use apps andbrowser extensions to keep your eyes healthy.
Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness is touted for stress-reducing benefits. You can use the Pomodoro break to inject a dose of mindfulness and refresh your brain. A mindfulness practice can be followed wherever you sit—in your home office or a coffee shop. Just sit still and observe your breath as your mind slowly quits churning thoughts. Box breathing is a simple technique to follow the rise and fall of your breath. Choose from the many digital apps or a simple visual on the screen.
Idea: Type “breathing exercise” in the Google Search box to open the easter egg, which is also a breath timer.
The One-Item To-Do List
There are many ways to write a to-do list and beat back procrastination. The simplest to-do list holds only the next item you must do. As thisHarvard Business Reviewarticle suggests,
Keep your to-do list, but use it only as a reference — not something to work off of. Every time you want to tackle a task, write it down on a Post-It and stick it where you can see it. Then, hide your full list and focus. Once you finish your chosen task, cross it off your list, and start again.
Idea: Use a Pomodoro break to take a Post-It and write down the very next task you must do. It can be a mini-goal for the next 25 minutes of the Pomodoro session. You can even take a larger task and make it granular with what you must do right now, even if it’s as simple as opening a blank document.
Remember, any to-do list is only sustainable if it works for you without adding stress to your day. But this is so simple that it’s worth a try for the procrastinator in you.
Stretch Your Body
Sitting at a desk for long hours is linked to many physical problems. AMayo Clinic articlehighlights this dangerous trend.
They found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to that posed by obesity and smoking.
The solution is simple. Take frequent breaks from sitting (at least once every 30 minutes). This fits in neatly with the duration of a Pomodoro session.
Idea:Several simple web apps can help you spice it up with random exercises. TryRandom TrainingorSpin It. Alternatively, you may take a short walk around the house.
Drink Water
A well-hydrated body is essential for cognitive performance. Numerous research studies have shown that our water habits impact attentiveness, critical thinking skills, and memory. One of theresearch studiescited here suggests that even 1–2% dehydration hinders optimum cognitive performance. So, why not use the Pomodoro break to gulp some water.
Idea:Use the Pomodoro break timer to condition a habit of drinking water. You can even use the break to pair it with a healthy snack and boost your energy levels. For some added fun, try out theWaterllama iOS Appor anyAndroid reminder apps for hydrationthat remind you about the importance of sipping water.
Listen to an Ultra-Short Podcast
One of the tricks to habit formation is taking one current habit and piggybacking another new behavior on top of it. You can try habit stacking with a Pomodoro break and five minutes' worth of podcasts. It might be better to avoid YouTube and go with an audio podcast to get away from the screen. Prepare your playlist of short podcasts beforehand with the help ofpodcast discovery sitesand search engines.
Idea:Search for “bite-sized” podcasts that are usually 5-10 minutes long. This allows you to fit them in a Pomodoro break easily. One of my favorites is60-Second Techfrom Scientific American.
Micro-Learning
Like bite-sized podcasts, a Pomodoro break can be mindfully spent on learning. And there’s a lot you may chip away in these little fissures of free time. Microlearning or Bite-sized learning apps cram useful information into short bursts that can be consumed without getting bored or interrupting the rhythm of your life.
Idea:You can take a physical book (or even a paperback) and complete one page in five minutes or less. Apps likeDuolingoandEasy Tenare perfectly designed for learning a new language on the go or using short periods of free time. You can evenstart coding with bite-sized coursesthat are freely available.
Just Relax
The ultimate point of a Pomodoro break for those of us who work on digital screens is to step away and relax. We started with two ideas that help you do just that, so let’s end with another one before the five-minute Pomodoro break is up. Our brains are noisy, so simple stillness can help you dampen the ricocheting thoughts.
Try What Works For You
The best part of the Pomodoro breaks is that you can do anything… but stop yourself from sitting in front of the computer and going through social media if you can. Mix and match any of the ideas above with your own. Maybe, you have a hobby that you can use as a mental circuit breaker for five minutes (mine is juggling and doodling). Also, you can take advantage of the longer 15-minute break after four successive Pomodoros to do something more substantial. For instance, go outside, talk to a friend, or declutter the house.
Choose your Pomodoro timer and the ideas for a destressing Pomodoro break beforehand and hit start.
