How to Focus and Get More Done

Trying to be productive while working from home is especially challenging, which accounts for a new surge of popularity for a technique that’s been around for decades. The Pomodoro Technique is named for the tomato-shaped timer that is its hallmark. We tell how it works.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good

(00:27):
for today. Everyone wants to be productive, right, but with
so many of us now working from home with all
of its distractions, just getting our jobs done can be difficult. Now.
Before the pandemic, only seven percent of Americans even had
the option to work remotely. Now, about a third of
Americans are doing their jobs from home. That means that

(00:48):
approximately of the country has had to make huge adjustments
to their work days. Now. Companies worry about this even
more than employees do. The World Economic Forum found that
of managers are concerned about the reduced focus and lower
productivity they're seeing in teams working from home, all which
explains the new surge of interest in a productivity technique

(01:09):
that's been around for decades. It's called the Pomadoro technique,
named after a tomato shaped kitchen timer. The pomador technique
involves focusing on tasks in intervals and making sure to
take breaks along the way. The technique was invented in
the nineteen eighties by Francesco Cerrillo, a productivity consultant, when
he was still a university student. The technique has been

(01:30):
popular ever since. In fact, in life Hacker even named
it the most popular productivity technique. So what exactly is
the palmadoro technique and how does it work? Well, First,
you have to pick something you want to focus on
and get a timer. It can be in the shape
of a tomato, or it can be any other timing
device you choose. Next, you set your timer for twenty

(01:53):
five minutes or longer if you decide that will be
the time you will devote that task or project. The
idea is to stay focus on that task until the
timer is up, and then take a break for a
few minutes. That's one pomadoro. After repeating for pomidoros, you
can allow yourself a longer break. Now, getting distracted is

(02:13):
completely normal. The average person finds that their mind wanders
of the time, which is why a break is essential.
After you've spent a period of time focused on a task,
the breaks between pomadoros can get you to stay more
focused during subsequent pomadoro's. Apart from taking a work break,
the pomodoro technique also gives you a good reason to
hit pause on screen time or to change your posture.

(02:36):
Getting up from your workstation is the best way to
make sure you're completely committed to the break. Pomadero breaks
can be productive to the perfect amount of time to, say,
unload the dishwasher or get a few minutes of exercise in. Now,
you may wonder, can the technique really be helpful when
working from home with virtual meetings, families and our need
for me time constantly clamoring for our attention. Well, that's

(02:59):
what's great about the pomadoro technique. Any task can be included.
It's just about focusing on what you want to focus
on and making sure that your pomaduro time is a priority.
Now people are finding the pomado technique especially useful during
COVID nineteen. Our perception of time feels different when we're
in the same place all day long and without the
structure of an office job or a class schedule. The

(03:20):
palmadoro can help us organize our days. It can even
be helpful for workaholics who need to draw the line
on when to stop working. The palmado technique has become
so popular that there are now many apps that you
can download to help you get started. So try the
pomaduro technique if you're feeling overwhelmed, distracted or unproductive. And
if you're still not sure that's the right technique for you,

(03:42):
track your pomadoros and see what you accomplished during that time.
It could even teach you a thing or two about
the nature of your workload and your day to day distractions.
If you measure them, you can manage them. So here's
something good for today. Palmaduro is a simple technique that
can help us focus and be more productive of especially
when working from home. Scheduling even one Pomadoro session a

(04:04):
day can do wonders. It's so great to know that
we don't have to put the pedal to the metal
during our full work day that breaks are good for us.
It's all about taking the ripe breaks to keep us
on a productive streak. And check out some free Pomadoro apps.
Pomo Done app which you can integrate with other apps,
Pomo to do, or the Marinara timer app. If you

(04:25):
want others on your team to be able to use
the technique and see your timer, you can also find
online timers at Pomo focus io and Tomato timer dot com.
Have a great Day, Thank you for listening, and please

(04:49):
share today's something Good with others in your life. This
is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and co
founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app store. Care Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio. Have a Great Day. For more podcasts

(05:16):
from my heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.