Closely related to concepts such as timeboxing and iterative and incremental development used in software design, the method has been adopted in pair programming contexts to make Pomodoro Apps. The Pomodoro technique has been widely popularized by dozens of apps and websites providing timers and instructions. A Pomodoro is indivisible when interrupted during the same, either the other activity must be recorded and postponed (inform – negotiate – schedule – call back) or abandoned. The goal is to reduce the impact of internal and external interruptions on focus and flow. Four Pomodoros form a set, and a longer (15 to 30 minutes) rest is taken between sets. A short (3 to 5 minutes) rest separates consecutive Pomodoros. Regular breaks are taken, aiding assimilation. After task completion, any time remaining in the Pomodoro is devoted to overlearning. As Pomodoros are completed, they are recorded, adding to a sense of accomplishment and providing raw data for subsequent self-observation and improvement.įor the purposes of the technique, a Pomodoro is the interval of time spent working. This enables users to estimate the effort tasks require. In the planning phase, tasks are prioritized by recording them in a “To do today” list. The stages of planning, tracking, recording, processing and visualizing are fundamental to this technique. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break (between 15 and 30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then repeat the entire process.

If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.

End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.

Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).

Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, taken from the Italian word for tomato, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.

The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

Pomodoro method app