The Pomodoro Technique: What It Is and How It Actually Helps

• July 08, 2025
• Posted By : MBD
• 0comments

 

With a task at hand that needs focus, it often happens that we get easily distracted when we actually sit down to work on it. It has happened with me, you and many others. Notifications from apps, reels, YT shorts, games or even a pair of flies become more interesting than the task. The problem is not the task but the way we approach it. This is where Pomodoro Technique comes to save the day.

Let’s learn about what the Pomodoro method is, how it should be used, and why it works so well for people who struggle with procrastination, burnout, or get distracted easily.

 

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a method of time management that breaks your work into short, timed intervals. One block is called a Pomodoro.

• Work for 25 minutes
• Take a 5-minute break
• After four of these Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes

This is a simple method for learning. There is need for an app or any other device. It was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. He used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer for it, hence the name Pomodoro. (In Italian, Pomodoro means tomato.)

 

Why does this actually work?

Most people have trouble focusing on their task or when they sit for long stretches of time. When you try to sit and work for a while, your brain will start to drift after about 20-30 minutes. So, instead of forcing yourself to sit and work, Pomodoro Technique helps you take small breaks. It helps in a few important ways:

• You stop avoiding the task. Committing to 25 minutes is easier than thinking ‘I have to finish everything.’
• It gives you real breaks. Five minutes away from your screen helps your brain reset, which means better concentration during the next block.
• You start tracking time better. After a few days, you’ll notice you can predict how many Pomodoros something will take.
• It reduces that scattered, anxious feeling. You’re not juggling everything. You’re doing one thing at a time.

It’s not some magic fix, but it works because it respects how focus actually functions, not how we wish it did.

 

How to Use Pomodoro Study Technique (Step-by-Step)

You can follow the original version to get started:

1. Pick one task. Make it specific, not ‘study history. Have a short goal like ‘List down the reasons for the Dandi March’ or ‘revise chapter 6’.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes. You can use a phone or an alarm clock. If you have access, then you can also use the Pomodoro timer or Pomodoro apps that are available online.
3. Turn off notifications, put your phone away, or turn off the TV. Start working as soon as the timer starts.
4. When the timer goes off, stop. Even if you’re mid-sentence.
5. Take a 5-minute break. Get up. Walk around. Look outside. Don’t pick up your phone or turn on the TV.
6. Repeat three more times and then take a longer break for about 15 to 30 minutes.

That’s one full cycle of Pomodoro Technique. You can do as many as you want in a day, depending on your tasks.

 

Benefits of Pomodoro Method (and Why it’s important for Students)

If you’re someone who keeps starting and stopping, or always feels behind, this method will help you stay in control. It helps you actually start and starting is where most people get stuck. Here’s what it really offers:

• Focus: 25 minutes of working on a single task is better than scrolling endlessly.
• Consistency: It’s not about big bursts of effort, but showing up again and again.
• Better work quality: With breaks built in, your mind stays sharper for longer.
• Less burnout: You’re not working endlessly, you’re giving your brain time to breathe.

 

How to Make It Even More Useful

Some small changes can make a big difference:

• Write down how many Pomodoros you do in a day. It keeps you motivated and helps track your daily output.
• Combine it with a to-do list.
• Experiment with the length. If 25 minutes doesn’t feel right, try 20-5 or 50-10. The goal is focus, not perfection.
• Group short tasks. If replying to emails and checking homework submissions takes 10 minutes each, batch them in one Pomodoro.
• Get away from screens during breaks. That break isn’t just a pause, it resets your mind for the next round.

If you want to gamify it, give yourself a reward after a certain number of Pomodoros. It makes even boring tasks feel more like a challenge.

 

What About Apps and Tools?

You don’t need anything fancy, but if you like digital tools, there are lots of Pomodoro timers out there.
Some of the most popular:

• Focus Keeper
• Forest (grows a digital tree as you focus)
• Pomofocus
• Todoist (not a Pomodoro timer, but great for tracking tasks alongside your sessions)

Pick one that fits your style. Or just use your phone’s stopwatch. Simpler is often better.

 

Three Rules to Make This Stick

1. Protect your Pomodoros. Once the timer starts, treat it like a short exam. No interruptions.
2. Track how many you do. It helps with motivation, and also teaches you how long different tasks really take.
3. Split big tasks. If it takes more than 4 Pomodoros, break it down. If it takes less than one, group it with other small stuff.

 

Who Can Use This?

Literally anyone, but it’s especially helpful for:

• Students with tight deadlines and too much to juggle
• People who struggle to start tasks
• Anyone trying to rebuild a study habit after burnout
• Those with ADHD or short attention spans—it helps create structure without pressure

Writers use it. Coders use it. Even athletes use a version of it for training. It’s flexible, and you can adjust it to fit your brain.

 

If your current way of working leaves you drained, distracted, or stuck in cycles of procrastination, try this. Not for a month. Just one hour.
Do one Pomodoro. Take a break. Then do another. That’s it.

You might find that you actually get more done by doing less at once. And you’ll feel better doing it.

Because let’s be honest, focus isn’t just about productivity. It’s about peace. And if a tomato timer can help you get there, it’s worth a shot.