Pomodoro & Productivity

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? I learned about it a few years ago, and it’s one of those things I wish I’d known about when I started my career in freelance translation, almost 10 years ago now.When I started using it, my productivity shot up and I was finally able to keep my procrastination in check.Some of you are likely already familiar with this very straightforward system, which simply divides your time into periods of rest and activity.The system is based on cooking timers, hence the name. Good thing an Italian came up with it though – I don’t think “Egg Timer Technique” would’ve caught on.Some people do 45 minutes of work interspersed with 15-minute breaks. Personally, I prefer a 25 / 5 split, with a longer break every 2 hours. As I’m working from home at the moment, I use those longer breaks for chores – be it washing dishes, folding laundry, or cleaning up a little.Using chores to break up the day and give the ol’ noodle a rest has made them a lot more tolerable for me.Previously, I would work for hours on end and faff about on Facebook and Reddit for long stretches, too. This meant less overall productivity, more guilty pangs when I wasn’t working, and just more exhaustion overall. All it took to end it was downloading a free app on my phone and sticking to it.Last week, I tried working a full day without Pomodoro, and the difference was staggering: by the time 6 PM rolled around, I was already mentally exhausted, my brain feeling like silly putty. My will to do anything more complicated than staring blankly in the general direction of a TV screen was nil.Of course, not everyone enjoys or needs something like this. Do you have a productivity / anti-procrastination method or tip you swear by? see hubwealthy.com/wealthy