<p>This genius time management hack was conceived by <a href="https://www.francescocirillo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Francesco Cirillo</a>. The technique involves working for 25 minutes followed by a mandatory 5-minute break, repeating this cycle three to four times before taking a longer break. We share our personal attempts at using the method, explore the psychology behind productive work cycles, the importance of taking breaks and reflect on its effectiveness in both office and home environments. We also discuss the broader context of productivity obsession and share insights from using related tools eg. online "focus buddies". The session concludes with a follow-up on how the Pomodoro Technique has worked for them a week after recording the episode, reenforcing a lot of the theory we originally set out. </p><br><p>Could this be our favourite procrastination buster yet!?!</p><br><p><strong>External links</strong></p><p>In the episode we reference a number of items you can find out more on here: </p><ul><li>Previous podcast episodes came up a lot (procrastination is a recurring theme for us): <a href="https://podcast.sketchplanations.com/how-to-instantly-feel-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How to Instantly Feel Better</a>; <a href="https://podcast.sketchplanations.com/yak-shaving/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yak Shaving</a>; <a href="https://podcast.sketchplanations.com/goldilocks-tasks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goldilocks Tasks</a> & <a href="https://podcast.sketchplanations.com/the-fresh-start-effect/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fresh Start Effect</a></li><li>Remarkably, there's currently no sketch for it, but Jono talks about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen_hypothesis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Red Queen Effect or Hypothesis</a> - the concept of having to run to stay still.</li><li>The Bear Focus Timer (used by Jono and now Tom as well). Available on <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bear-focus-timer-stay-focused/id1328806990" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Store</a> </li><li>Examples of Focus Buddy or Accountability Partner websites include <a href="https://www.focusmate.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Focus Mate</a> and <a href="https://www.flow.club/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Flow Club</a>.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode Summary</strong></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Sketchplanations Podcast</p><p>00:29 Exploring the Pomodoro Technique</p><p>01:03 Origins and Basics of the Pomodoro Technique</p><p>02:57 Implementing the Pomodoro Technique in the Office</p><p>07:23 Challenges and Adaptations of the Pomodoro Technique</p><p>17:10 Alternative Productivity Methods</p><p>18:53 Accountability and Shame in Productivity</p><p>19:40 Origins of the Pomodoro Technique</p><p>20:17 Applying Pomodoro in Different Environments</p><p>21:32 Psychological Benefits of Time Blocking</p><p>22:38 Challenges and Adaptations in the Office</p><p>23:01 Personal Admin and Procrastination</p><p>23:22 Flow and Creative Tasks</p><p>26:16 Post-pod Findings on Pomodoro Technique Usage</p><p>28:44 Final Thoughts and Outro</p><br><p>All music on this podcast series is kindly provided by the very talented <a href="https://www.franccinelli.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Franc Cinelli</a>. </p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
