The Pomodoro Technique: Boosting Productivity and Managing Exam Stress

Are you overwhelmed by school work, constantly procrastinating, or struggling with concentrating in class or meeting deadlines?

The Pomodoro Technique has proven to be a valuable solution to all these problems and more.

With the Pomodoro Technique, you can do what you need to do and have fun while at it.

As a student, the technique helps you manage time and exam stress while boosting overall academic productivity.

Basically, this technique emphasizes the importance of thinking in minutes rather than hours to manage time effectively.

It is a popular time and stress management method that students can use to battle exam anxiety and be better prepared.

In this article, we will explain the technique, how it works, and who needs it, among other things.

The Pomodoro Technique Explained: Its Origins

Francesco Cirillo, a student at the University of Milano, developed this time-management technique.

The time management technique was created when Cirillo found it difficult to concentrate on his work and finish his assignments.

Cirillo forced himself, during one of the overwhelming times in his life, to focus on only ten minutes of study.

In the end, Cirillo got himself a tomato (which is called “Pomodoro in Italian”) that was designed to look like a clock. Thus, he created the Pomodoro Method.

Although there is a 130-page book on the subject, the technique itself is simple, and that’s its biggest strength.

The core of the technique is the 25-minute work sprints, although it also includes a few rules for it to really work.

How Does the Method Work?

Cirillo wrote a huge book on the subject, but the method is quite simple. First, create your study timetable and get a timer; then, set the timer for twenty-five minutes.

The secret is to allocate a task to each interval and focus on one 25-minute task until the timer rings.

At the end of the 25 minutes, mark one Pomodoro, note the milestone you’ve achieved, and then take a five-minute break.

After every four pomodoros, take longer breaks – fifteen to thirty minutes long.

However, for this technique to work for you, you must follow three simple rules:

Rule #1: Break Down the Work

A task would typically require only four pomodoros, but some will take longer. If your task will require more than that, first divide the task into smaller actionable bits.

Maintain the rule, including the 15 to 30-minute break at the end of the fourth pomodoro, to clarify your progress.

Rule #2: Combine Simpler Tasks

If your task will require less than one pomodoro, combine it with other simple tasks.

For example, after accomplishing the task you set out to do, you can set a vet appointment in the same session.

Rule #3: The Timer Must Ring before You Stop

Once you’ve set a Pomodoro, you must allow the timer to ring before you break the session.

You cannot break the session to check an incoming email, text message, or team chat.

If ideas, requests, or tasks come up, note them in a manual or digital task manager and revisit them later.

However, if there is an interruption you cannot help, start again after taking your five-minute break.

Meanwhile, ensure you track interruptions as they occur and come up with strategies to avoid them in the next session.

On the other hand, if you finish your work and the timer is yet to go off, do something productive.

For example, you can improve your scope of knowledge, improve your skills, or research your MBA dissertation writers.

Who Needs the Pomodoro Technique?

You may wonder whether the Pomodoro technique is for you, but we guarantee that it is.

However, here is a checklist to help you decide whether this technique is for you or not. With that said, you need the Pomodoro technique if:

You’re working on a task and keep finding yourself getting distracted with social media or a different task – like loading the dishwasher.

You’re on a task, and a voice in your head keeps making you feel like you’re forgetting something urgent you should be doing.

You have a short time to accomplish multiple goals and are unsure where to start.

Your team members keep interrupting you, and your attention span reduces more and more, causing you to make mistakes.

You have a tight deadline for a difficult task, and completing it seems impossible.

In other words, if you’re a student, the Pomodoro technique can be a vital tool to have in your academic arsenal.

Several things can happen that will make reaching your goals under a specific timeframe seem impossible.

When you apply this productivity technique, you will realize it’s not as difficult as it seems.

Why Is the Pomodoro Technique So Effective?

Pomodoro is an effective time-management technique that instils urgency.

This technique makes it so you don’t waste time by feeling that you have plenty of time to complete a project.

In contrast, the mind becomes accustomed to knowing that it has only 25 minutes to get as much done as possible.

Pomodoro is an effective way to manage exam stress while boosting your productivity:

It makes it easy to start the task at hand by breaking it down into something you only have 25 minutes for. According to research, procrastination has more to do with avoiding negative feelings than laziness or lack of self-control. One chooses Netflix or Instagram over having to uncomfortably stare down a big task one probably doesn’t even know how to do. The Pomodoro technique is a procrastination-busting strategy that keeps you hyper-focused on your task rather than getting overwhelmed.

Getting interrupted from a flow state can be frustrating; it’s often hard to regain that focus. Little interruptions from social media and friends here and there are significant; a quick Facebook check can turn into 20 minutes of refocus attempts. That’s where the Pomodoro Technique comes in; it helps you resist those interruptions and train your brain to maintain focus.