Created by an Italian graduate student in the 1980s who used a tomato kitchen timer (pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian) to track his time, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that encourages people to work within their attention span by alternating periods of focused work with timed breaks.

How the Pomodoro Technique works:

1. Pick a task.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
3. Work on your task until the timer rings.
4. Take a 5-minute break. The combined 25 minutes of work plus 5 minutes of rest is 1 Pomodoro.
5. After every 4 Pomodoros, take an extended break of 15-30 minutes.

Why the Pomodoro Technique works:

There are a few reasons that the Pomodoro Technique is very popular with both students and professionals:

1. Humans have a natural attention span of 15-30 minutes; this method honors that natural timeline, working with it rather than against it. Proactively building in breaks means that work is actually more efficient than it would be in a similar amount of time spent without any breaks.
2. Pomodoros discourage multi-tasking. Short, defined work periods lower the difficulty of staying on task because we know that we can answer a text, get a snack, or watch a funny cat video during our upcoming break.
3. Because of their bite-sized nature, working in pomodoros forces us to break down larger tasks — and breaking down tasks is a proven procrastination buster. Each Pomodoro is long enough to complete about one 25-minute task. That means that, in order to work within the Pomodoro structure, a student must break down an essay into smaller parts or identify clear study steps in preparing for a test.

The underlying concept of the Pomodoro Technique is simple, but becoming a Pomodoro master can be complex for a few reasons. First, some people have a natural attention span slightly shorter than 25 minutes — those folks might do best with a modified Pomodoro time that more closely reflects their actual attention span. Second, learning to plan Pomodoros and accurately estimate how many Pomodoros a task will take is a skill that will likely take time to build. Third, the Pomodoro Technique does still require focus! Recognizing the patterns of interruptions to our Pomodoros and learning to resist those distractions requires reflection, will power, and possible adjustments to our environment.

Pomodoros can help students manage everything from chores to test preparation and daily homework to exercise. Looking for a more personalized plan to help your child develop robust planning and time management skills? Our executive functioning coaches can help! Contact us or reach out to your director to set up a strategy session!