The control group performed the 50-minute task without breaks or diversions.84 participants were divided into four groups: The study tested participants’ ability to focus on a repetitive computerised task for an hour under various conditions. Attention is not the problem…prolonged attention to a single task actually hinders performance”. The lead researcher said that “…most papers treated attention as a limited resource that would get used up over time…but you are always paying attention to something. This study, for instance, from researchers at the University of Illinois, upends the intuitive theory about the nature of attention by demonstrating that short breaks from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to focus for prolonged periods. Research has shown that taking regular breaks can “vastly improve” focus and concentration for prolonged periods. This theory has been supported by scientific literature too.

In essence, it is a cyclical system based around working in short bursts of 25 minutes with intermittent breaks, of 5 minutes, which can help to improve motivation, creativity and efficiency.

Interesting Side Note: Cirillo named the system “Pomodoro” after the tomato-shaped timer he used to track his work as a university student.

The technique was ‘invented’ in the early 1990s by developer, entrepreneur, and author Francesco Cirillo.Ĭirillo noticed that when faced with large tasks or a series of assignments, we’re able to be most effective if we break the work down into short, timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”) which are spaced out by short breaks. The Pomodoro Technique is perhaps the simplest productivity and time-management strategy which we can all use – you don’t need any technical apps or sophisticated technology all you need is a timer!

Pomodoro technique app