Do you often find yourself starting a task only to get distracted, feeling mentally fatigued, or struggling to maintain focus? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many high-achieving professionals face challenges when it comes to staying focused for long periods. However, a technique known as the Pomodoro Technique could offer a solution (Biwer et al., 2023). [g]
You may also want to read: Building mental resilience: how to stay focused under pressure.
How the Pomodoro Technique works
By using this technique, you focus on one task at a time for a set period, avoiding distractions that could interfere with your ability to complete it efficiently. Research suggests that multitasking could negatively impact memory retention, as distractions weaken working memory—the system responsible for holding and processing information temporarily (Biwer et al., 2023 & Solan, 2022). [a] [b] [g] [h] [f]
The key to overcoming this challenge is to monotask, meaning you concentrate on a single activity until it is completed. Experts indicate that this approach could lighten the load on working memory, minimize susceptibility to distractions, and boost task completion speed (Solan, 2022). [c]
The science behind structured work intervals
The Pomodoro Technique is rooted in the idea that structured work intervals, typically 25 minutes long, followed by short 5-minute breaks, could help postpone distractions, making it easier to maintain focus on the task at hand. Knowing that a scheduled break is approaching might reduce the urge to check social media or engage in unrelated activities, allowing individuals to complete their work more efficiently (Biwer et al., 2023). [h] [f] [d]
Making the most of the Pomodoro Technique
Implementing the Pomodoro Technique effectively involves more than just setting a timer. To get the best results, it’s essential to commit fully to the method—working without interruptions during each block and using breaks as a time to reset. Evidence suggests that systematic breaks could reduce the time required to complete a task, as individuals tend to return to work more quickly and with renewed focus. In contrast, deciding when to take breaks on the fly could demand greater mental effort, making it harder to sustain attention (Biwer et al., 2023). [h] [f] [i]
By incorporating structured breaks into your daily routine, you might find it easier to maintain focus, stay motivated, and reduce cognitive fatigue. The Pomodoro Technique might be a simple yet powerful way to manage your time, helping you work smarter instead of longer (Biwer et al., 2023). [h] [f] [i] [e]
References:
Biwer, F., Wiradhany, W., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., & de Bruin, A. B. H. (2023). Understanding effort regulation: Comparing “Pomodoro” breaks and self‐regulated breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(S2). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12593
Solan, M. (2022, August 1). The art of monotasking. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-art-of-monotasking
References:
[a] Focusing your attention on only one task at a time is the secret to performing tasks correctly. You may think you can do everything at once, but you can’t — and shouldn’t.
Science has shown that when people multitask, they become more easily distracted and less productive, score lower on tests for recalling information, and make more errors. The reason is simple: the brain cannot devote equal attention to multiple tasks that require high-level brain function.
“For older adults, multitasking increases the chance of making more serious mistakes,” says Lydia Cho, a psychologist and neuropsychologist with Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital. “For instance, you could begin to pay bills, switch to another task, and then forget to go back and finish. Or you could get distracted juggling so many things that you forget to take your medication, or even take it twice.” (Solan, 2022)
[b] Distractions can impair their working memory — the capacity to hold and access information over a brief period. (Solan, 2022)
[c] The solution to breaking free from multitasking is to monotask, meaning you focus on only one job until it’s completed. “This approach lowers the burden on working memory, reduces your vulnerability to distraction, and helps you complete the task more efficiently and quickly,” says Cho (Solan, 2022)
[d] In the systematic break conditions, the externally regulated breaks were experienced as disrupting the work flow, making it difficult to concentrate on the learning tasks again after a break. At the same time, regular breaks were also experienced as ‘refreshing’, helping to focus during study blocks: ‘Sometimes I wanted to continue what I was doing and I [had to] take the break. Other times I was relieved to pause for a while and start a task with a refreshed mind’. Also, students mentioned that especially the short breaks made them more motivated to concentrate during the learning tasks.(Biwer, Wiradhany, Oude Egbrink, & de Bruin, 2023)
[e] When self-regulating break-taking, study blocks and breaks were longer. In line with our first hypothesis, this was associated with higher levels of fatigue and distractedness, and lower levels of concentration and motivation to continue studying just before taking a break, compared to the systematic conditions. (Biwer, Wiradhany, oude Egbrink, & de Bruin, 2023)
[f] As illustrated by the qualitative data, systematic breaks could have helped to postpone distractions to the break, fostering concentration and motivation to start studying again. (Biwer, Wiradhany, oude Egbrink, & de Bruin, 2023)
[g] Another commonly known, but underinvestigated technique of systematic breaks is the “Pomodoro technique” (Cirillo, 2018), recommended in several applications and study-skills books (e.g., Pancholi, 2022; Scroggs, 2023). This technique promotes longer study sessions of 25 min while avoiding any distractions, followed by a 5-min break in which any alternative actions (e.g., social media, going outside) are allowed.
[h] For the systematic long break condition, we used the Pomodoro technique (Cirillo, 2018) including 24-min study blocks followed by 6-min breaks. The latter has to our knowledge never been investigated empirically, but is highly recommended in study-skills books or applications that promote the effectiveness of this technique to systematically structure self-study sessions. Specifically, during an authentic session of self-studying, we examined the effects of taking systematic versus self-regulated breaks on task experiences as indicators of opportunity costs, mental effort and task completion.
[i] Systematic breaks could reduce the overall time it takes for participants to finish their learning tasks, as they could return to their work more quickly after a break. On the other hand, having to self-regulate when to take breaks could increase mental effort, making it harder to focus on the tasks.
