#pomodoro method

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄

𝟭. set SMART goals ( 📒 )

make sure your goals are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound. this will help you maintain focus and track your progress over time. how many times has it been you and your unrealistic to-do list against the world? well, it seems that a mile-long to-do list is not a good ally at all. remember that you are a person and not a machine, and that just dedicating four hours to deep work and concentration is A LOT. be kind to yourself and don't overload yourself with more work than you can humanly do.

𝟮. daily planning ( 🧸 )

mea culpa because i'm the first one who doesn't plan their day. to-do lists generally stress me out and make me feel overwhelmed as if i don't manage to complete all the tasks an asteroid will end up hitting the earth. but i recognize that it is a good starting point. sometimes i have too many things to do and i end up doing nothing in total confusion, but having at least a general list to follow gives me more motivation. moreover do we want to talk about the dopamine released when you tick an empty box? marvelous. maybe don't write down tasks that are too onerous and demanding, break them into several smaller tasks, also try to write simple activities such as "drink a glass of water" every now and then. having these low-commitment activities will help you stay motivated while completing more important tasks.

𝟯. reverse-engineering method ( 🪴 )

start with the end goal and work backwards to plan the actions needed to achieve it. this helps you maintain clarity on the steps to take and focus on the most relevant actions. the best thing to do is plan based on the time available and do your best to stick to your daily goal.

𝟰. timer roulette ( ⏳ )

choose a task from your to-do list and set a random timer between 15 and 45 minutes. work on that task with all your concentration until the timer goes off. this helps you fight procastination and keep your mind fresh.

𝟱. mind mapping time ( 📍 )

before starting a study session, take a few minutes to create a mental map of the subject you need to cover. this helps you see connections between concepts and organize information more effectively.

𝟲. task batching ( 🫒 )

group similar tasks together and tackle them in batches. for example, reply to all emails in one session rather than doing so at scattered times throughout the day. this helps you reduce transition time between tasks and maintain focus. contrary to popular belief, human beings are not truly multitasking (only a few possess this great ability) and when we do multiple things together we do nothing but shift our attention from one task to another, greatly reducing the quality of our performance. if possible, try to avoid these switches that are harmful to your focus and concentration.

𝟳. the pomodoro method ( 🍅 )

okay, y'all probably already know this one because it became so popular in the last year but if you don't, the pomodoro method is a time management technique developed by francesco cirillo in the late 80s. it is based on the idea of working for short periods of time, usually 25 minutes, followed by a short 5 minute break. after four rounds of work, a longer break is taken, usually 15-30 minutes. this technique helps improve concentration and productivity, as it breaks down work into manageable tasks and offers regular breaks to rest and regenerate energy. i personally prefer the 50/10 ratio while i'm studying but you decide which time ratio is better for you, i find it really useful and it helps me a lot while i'm studying for my exams.

[lutiaskokopelli]

I have an issue with constantly getting distracted, so I got distracted from working by making a 100% customizable Pomodoro App to keep my future self from getting distracted. Have a Google Drive download link.

The Pomodoro technique, if you don't know it, is a discipline method for keeping track of when you are working and when you are taking breaks, notably through the use of a timer.

There are tons of apps centered around this, and yet after looking at so many of them, I somehow could not find one that would do the most basic thing I'd like to have for a study companion: change the background of the app so that yes, I do have a timer telling me to work harder, but I also have an image of my choice to cheer me up along with it.

So what did I do? Did I take the rational, reasonable path, to just suck it up and stick to one of the already existing apps even though it would mean saying no to having my adorable Hearthian OC sleep in a corner of my screen?

Or did I go the hyperfocused insane route of utter procrastination and learn a whole new programmation language from scratch just in order to get my frikkin baby to comfort me while I work?

Yeah, who could have guessed.

So! The Google Drive link I shared will let you download everything you need in order to run your own version of this little app, including a tutorial on how to customize it to suit your needs.

The first thing you will see after unzipping the archive is this:

The "ast" folder (standing for "assets") contains every image used by the app -- which means that you can change them as you please! I even gave you transparent versions of the buttons in the "Asset Creation Help" subfolder, in case you like the shapes but want to change the backgrounds.

You think that's cool? Oh, but the image assets are far from being the only thing you can change for this app's behavior! You can change EVERYTHING that this app is doing (which isn't much because it's literally just three different types of timers, and even then there are some trickier details with more coding than others (but I still give tips on how to handle those), but shush. Everything this app can do, you can customize to your heart's content).

How do you do that? Well, this is what you get when you right-click on the "Pomodoro.ps1" file:

The Pomodoro.ps1 file is the "app" itself, written in PowerShell code that I made as legible as I could make it. There is a whole tutorial in there, made easier to read if you right-click on this file's icon and choose the "Edit" option. Have a preview!

Through editing this file, you can then run a Pomodoro app from which you can have the window's appearance customized, from its size, opacity (if you want to still half-see what's sitting behind it), and start position on your screen (the window can be dragged around, but if you have a preferred position you can tell the app to always load it in that preferred spot right from the get go), to stuff like the custom messages you get whenever the timer progresses:

So, yeah. I made a little app meant to help with productivity. One out of many already out there, sure, and it's probably not as cool as many others (but I'll just remind you that three days ago I knew absolutely nothing about PowerShell as a whole, so- I guess that would be still a little impressive that I was able to make a working app like that at all? xD), but as far as I've looked, it's the only one that will let you have your favorite images keep you company while you use it.

I don't know whether anyone other than me will like it enough to use it, but just in case, it's here! Hope it's as easy(-ish) to customize as I made it out to be, or at least close enough.

PS: The version I use for my own personal choices uses some slightly different assets compared to the version I share in the .zip file on my Google Drive. This is because the version I share online solely uses official Outer Wilds art (while the version I made for myself notably uses one piece of OW fanart that I did not make myself, and it didn't sit right with me to share that piece uncredited, even in an edited form. If you are curious, this is the artwork in question).

[raven27ceigo]

12.11.2024 ~~ i had a day off so i went out to try a new food place with my friend 🍂🍜🥘🍹

13.11.2024 ~~ locked in since morning till the evening... I'll be continuing after dinner 💪✨

⁠✯

✯

You can do it!! o⁠(⁠(⁠*���^⁠▽⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠)⁠o

(ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) ✯

[eclipsellium]

Why I hate the pomodoro method.

You’ve probably seen someone suggest the Pomodoro method before— you do short sprints (typically 25 mins) followed up by a quick break (typically 5 mins).

I don’t like it, and I will never go back to using it. Don’t get me wrong, it can work really well! My sibling only gets anything done if they use this method, so there is something good about it. However, I’m going to talk about the downsides and what else to do instead of this method.

1. It focuses on time spent rather than results.

Many tasks are quite flexible in how long we take to complete them. Take walking home for example. When I am in a rush to school, it takes about 20 mins uphill, but my legs cramp really bad. When I’m just listening to my music and vibing, it takes about 30 mins downhill.

It's a similar idea for studying. Apply pressure on your learning and assignments, and they get completed faster. Too much pressure, you get exhausted or can’t think straight. (HINT: Procrastination). Too little pressure, and it takes forever to get anything done.

Different results require different amounts of time and pressure.

Trying to strive for a specific time frame undermines what your true goal is: to get some something done. The repetitive cycle assumes a “one size fits all” but that is rarely ever the case. Saying “I studied for two hours today” means nothing compared to “I wrote my essay, read a research paper, and annotated my notes from yesterday.”

2. It discourages focus and flow.

When I was trying out the method, I kept trying to find the ideal time for work and for breaks. The problem is it's never the same. Some days, you are more mentally exhausted and need longer and more breaks, otherwise you are just going to be miserable.

As it is, the five-minute break isn’t long enough to go on a short walk, take a dedicated snack, or fully disconnect. It’s a waste of time that taunts you with distractions that aren’t conducive to a good work environment.

The opposite is also true. Good days can be rare, so when you get into the zone, there’s no reason to come out of it for anything other than a natural transition. A ticking timer to your productivity doesn’t help, and breaking up that “flow state” isn’t maximizing your time or your efforts.

I also haven’t heard many people mention stamina. If you are in school and taking tests, you realize they are typically around the same length (90 - 120 mins where I am). The pomodoro method contradicts this. For a lot of people, focusing and doing your best on a test for such a long period of time can be difficult.

Oh, but that’s just life.

Maybe a part of it is, but you can take steps to improve your stamina during test taking. Spending upwards of two hours studying or taking practice tests, especially leading up to huge exams, can make the test fly by. Simulating test conditions is also a great way to study or increase pressure, which is what long term study periods achieve. Taking longer study periods also relates back to breaks. With the same amount of break time, you consolidate it into a greater block. You can grab a snack, watch an episode of your favorite show, take a walk outside, or do your hair. All fun stuff you can’t do with pomodoro.

3. It brings technology back into the equation.

If you’re using pomodoro method, most likely, its on your computer or your phone. Which means you have to have a device in reach and visible (for work on paper) or be constantly switching tabs (for work online).

Distractions are a huge part of this modern age, which means that you could inadvertently be teasing your mind with a computer game or social media or whatever you enjoy. Even if you don’t give in, you *are* losing focus.

Forget the clocks, forget the devices, forget the notifications. It’s so much easier to be productive if you have nothing else to do and no distractions to take you away from something that, at the heart of it, you enjoy. Because if you hate studying, why are you still reading this??????

This is really long so I’ll make another post about different study methods next week.

[thedungeonbat]

trying new methods🕰️

tried the pomodoro technique for the first time today and it worked surprisingly well! I got all my homework and studying done within an hour (unbelievable right?) and even managed to organise my notes. Today was filled with anxiety and a lot of exhaustion from yesterday. My math exam apparently was more draining that I thought and being a ta in the late afternoon didn’t help. Let’s make tomorrow a fresh start.

I’ll now try and see if the pomodoro thing helps with finally getting the next chapter of my fanfiction done, I by now feel sorry for the few readers :‘) exam season and writers block got the best of me. Update, 5:40pm.: I finished the chapter and uploaded it! Woho!

Todays highlight: saw one of my favorite teachers who seemed quite happy to see me as well!!<3

[saskia-mae]

how to revise effectively

revision is a very important part of education, but many people have no idea how. in this post i'm going to outline the basics of revision. it's important to note that different subjects will require you to revise differently, there is no one size fits all when it comes to revision.

less is more- studying for 30 focused minutes is way more effective than a 5 hour study session while you watch tv.

work on exam technique- this is such an overlooked part of revising for an exam, but if you know how to answer the questions and what structures to use, it will really help you. ask your teacher or search for your exam board online to find out the best way for your subject and exam board.

manage distractions- if like me you get distracted super easily, you need to create an environment with limited distractions. this means put your phone on do not disturb, if your house/place of study is noisy put some headphones on and listen to classical music or study ambience (my favourites are the Harry Potter rooms by Asmrweekly on youtube). if you get distracted while studying by thinking of things you need to do, something that's really helped me is to have a piece of paper next to me that i can write all my thoughts on, so i can continue studying and do what i've written afterwards.

set precise goals for your study session- this helps to reduce procrastination. for example, if I put "study geography" on my to do list i'll procrastinate, but if I put "do 30 flashcards for the topic hazards" I have a clear idea of what I need to do

use the pomodoro method- having breaks is really important in keeping you engaged while you're studying. I don't follow the typical timings, but I usually do between 30-45 minutes of studying followed by a 10-15 minute break depending on how I'm feeling

utilise your study breaks- it's so easy to pick your phone up and scroll through tiktok until you realise your 5 minute break turned into a 3 hour tiktok binge. when I go on a study break, I only go on my phone to snap people back, or for a little scroll on pinterest. I also like to get some more water, grab a snack and stretch. If I'm having a longer break, I'll try to get outside and go for a walk, especially if the weather is good (in England this is about 5 days of the year haha)

now, onto different ways to revise

doing past papers

doing flashcards

making timelines

doing essay plans

making mindmaps

blurting

quizzes

if you study languages, practicing translations or specific types of questions that come up in the exam (for my exam board this is things like gap fill activities, 90 word listening or writing summaries, finding synonyms in a text etc.)

[belovedfiend]

executive function strategies / focus-enhancing techniques

pls feel free to reblog or comment ur own!

Pomodoro Method 🍅

25 minute interval of focusing + 5 minute break x2

followed by a 25 minute interval of focusing + 15 minute break

repeat!

you only have to focus for a set amount of time!

& it gamifies your work

I use Pomofocus but there are other sites and apps as well !

Note: You can lower these time intervals to something more accessible at first! If 2 or 5 minutes feels more achievable, start there.

Body Doubling 💑

I usually get a friend who also needs to work on call

This can also be in the form of having a study with me stream on, working in a café, or being around someone in person.

The accountability and parallel play is very effective for me, even if we are not actively collaborating or speaking!

Break Down Tasks 🔨

This is very important to neurodivergent folks.

I think about it like a computer program. When you explicitly list each step of a process, in its simplest steps, it does a significant amount of work for your brain before you've even started.

So make a list of steps for your individual tasks, breaking them down.

Rituals 🕯️

This can be whatever you want it to be!

Light candles, play a specific order of songs, chewing gum.

Doing these before each work session can make connections in your brain that improves focus and memory.

Note: This is a great gateway to Habit Stacking as well. This is a method outlined in Atomic Habits in which you link new habits to existing ones. For example, after making a cup of coffee, as you already may do every morning, you sit down to plan or review tasks.

Productive Procrastinating 🫣

This is admittedly not always a good idea...but it works!

Basically, it's having a list of things I need to do, and choosing to do something less urgent instead of the biggest or most important project first.

This can help relieve some of the pressure in starting a work sesh and create momentum!

For example, instead of immediately starting that 5 page essay due tonight...I might exercise or clean for 10 minutes first.

May or may not be what I'm doing right now.

[studywithvictory]

Pomodoro tracker!

Need help staying focused? My pomodoro tracker printable helps you tackle tasks in short, focused bursts -- perfect for keeping track of study sessions or work projects.

-> available in red, green, AND in black and white for those that have limited printing capabilities

-> perfect for letter-sized printing with 2 per page for maximum convenience.

-> grab yours now in both PNG and PDF formats on my google drive!

-> new to the pomodoro method? check out these posts:

the pomodoro technique on todoist

the pomodoro technique: mastering productivity one tomato at a time by @pinkishpink

my latest "getting housework done" adhd hack by @jabbage

ideas for 5-minute study breaks at the library by @audiocultures

-> remember: there's no hard rules on how to do pomodoro. if 25:5:30 doesn't work for you, change it up! it's not cheating. its personalizing! personally i do 10:5:20 :)

(if this looks familiar, i think i accidentally deleted the original post T_T)

[auntierayeraye]

[rainyblazepost]

Yesterday my procrastination got me, and it was awful as always..

Yet it wasn’t that bad, since still i managed to get done few things. In fact I kept revising Histology.

The pomodoro technique was really helpful yesterday. I made three sessions of hall an hour, divided by 5 minute breaks (a cookie break because studying makes me sooo hungry 😣)

First pomodoro 🍅

cellular junctions

cartilage

exocrine glands

Second pomodoro 🍅

pharyngeal arches, pouches and grooves

Third pomodoro 🍅

thyroid and tongue

osteoclasts

Good work to anybody who is reading this!!✨💕 Manifesting for procrastination to leave us alone!(at least for today).

[coralinefl0wers]

pomodoro timers my beloved, just found one w rain ambience and classical music for the breaks, blessings to whoever made it

[study-core-101]

Popular Study Methods I dont like

(By Jay)

A list of study techniques that dont work for me at all. But study methods can work amazing for one person and then just complicate studying more for another. If they work for you, awesome, i'm happy about that. These are my personal experience with them, a lot of people wont relate and thats fine, people are different. But if you relate why these common/popular methods dont work for me, know you arent the only one and that there are more options. People might tell you "this method is amazing, you should do this" and there for you is shit.

Memorazing

Avoid this. Yeah, I know I said it's subjective but this is the exception to the rule. When you memorize you dont learn. You cannot conect concepts because you dont understand. One thing is memorazing formulas, which is nessesary, but memorazing everything doesnt work. Understandment is way better. Yes, we need to remember and storage the information in our memory, but memorazing is different. Knowing the theory word by word is shit if you cannot explain it in different words, connect it with other concepts or put ut in practise.

Flashcards

Yep, studyblr favourite study method. Bear with me.

For me, it is a really passive way. When i make the Q&As of the flashcards, i remember the answers. I dont think. I associate the words. And then, when the test has the questions phrased different, my mind goes blank. It seem liked i learned because i remember but i wasnt actually learning.

Now you are probably thinking "use it for vocabulary". That doesnt help me either. Maybe it helps for knowing the meaning in a reading, but writing? I cant remember the spelling. For learning to spell a word i need to write it down. Use it in a sentence. Reading it over and over doesnt do anything.

All-nighters

Oh god, there is nothing worse than an all-nighter. One all-nighter will ruin your sleep schedule for weeks and tired=learn less. Plus, too much all-nighters lead to burn out.

With better time management, all-nighters wouldnt probably exist, or at least, be reduced by a lot

Also, as someone with chronic migraines, an all-nighter'd only give me a week straight with only terrible pain and i prefer failing a subject than that (i'd had to learn the hard way that lesson. always prioritaze your health)

Pomodoro

It's a little bit hypocrital of me to put it here, as I usually reccomend it to others. But personally? It just de-motivaties and stresses me. (disclaimer: it is a good technique, thats why i recomend it even if it doesnt work for me).

I'll explain why. The only way i can do a lot of productive stuff together (or just a long assignment) is to "get in the mood" or have like a "streak". I usually have to power through the first 5-10 minutes of studying and then i get super motivated and do a lot until my brain asks for a break. When the timer rings, it breaks it and i have to repeat the rutine again. It wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt that i work 3 or 4 times faster when i motivated than when i am powering through.

Also, having the self-impose deadline of a pomodoro (i know it isnt technically a deadline, but for some unknown reason, my brain processes it as one) makes me nervous and gives me anxiety. Just knowing the timer is going to go off anytime un-focus me. It's unnesesary stress.

[juliamccartney]

[chronic-melon]

Hi friends! I had to block someone for giving me unsolicited advice and opinions about my twitch channel. Please do not do this! If I ask for advice, sure. But someone messaged me acting friendly, and then started telling me all the ways I could improve my stream.

Anyway, I had a good day! I did miss an hour of an important meeting, but my boss was understanding. I just claimed an hour of sick leave and left it at that!

After the meeting I hosted a really nice study hall virtually using Spirit City: Lofi Sessions. It’s finals week for students so they appreciated it!

Now I’m watching festive movies with my boyfriend and his brother. Things are good 😌

Stability score: 2/5, heart rate was a little higher today

[philocalistherz]

«⋅ʚ Study sesion ɞ⋅»

➴ August 17, 2024. ₊˚ෆ

ೃ⁀➷ today's stats ༉���₊

💭 Subject: film editing (practice)

🤍 Time: 5hr 35 minutes (new record!)

🐇 Location: my dorm (as usual)

ೃ⁀➷ work of the sesion ༉‧₊

It's all fun and giggles until you have to edit for hours without a break because you had to kick out some work to focus on midterms.

that session was rough, but at least funny games [2007] is one of my safe movies when I don't know where to find inspiration: it's short, simple and cool. using premiere is honestly one of my weaknesses. i never paid attention when it came to doing exercises and almost always relied on my friends and silly little video editing apps, but not anymore!

today was the day, no questions, no distractions, just pure madness and 32onz of coffee in my system against this dumb ass assigment, and i did it!

[Should I do some kind of review of my study sessions? the movies I watch on it? Let me know if you want to know anything in particular, see you soon! (in a few hours unfortunately)]