Maximizing time for most engineers is a constant struggle, not to mention the toll it can take on your home life. In a busy work environment, it can be a struggle to meet endless deadlines and project milestones.
There are many time-management techniques that maybe employed to improve your productivity. However, most are impractical or require more effort than they are worth.
Enter the Pomodoro technique...
Pomodoro is the Italian for tomato, and from it, little kitchen timers were born, resembling the humble pomodoro. In the 1980s, a practice was developed to act as an aid for those finding it difficult to both study, and be productive while working.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro technique involves dividing your day, not into work hours, but “pomodoros”. Each omodoro is 25 minutes long.
The 25-minute Pomodoro maximizes time and efficiency, by setting out 25 minutes of uninterrupted focus on a particular task or project. Basically
you work in 25minutes stints, after which you take a break.
The two key takeaways here are that the work is no less or more than 25-minutes at a time, and that the work is uninterrupted.
Not according researchers studying the brain, such as Dr. Terrence Sejnowski of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he directs the
Computational Neurobiology Laboratory.
Dr. Sejnowski’s research has demonstrated that the human brain works at an optimal level when focused on learning or work, for periods of up to 25 minutes at a time. After which the “brain” requires a short 5 -10-minute break. While the brain is focused on a particular task that requires all of your attention, there reaches a point of diminishing returns after 25-minutes without a (short) break.
According to the body of work being carried out at the Salk Institute, the brain learns and focuses using groups of neurons to form patterns. The brain “maxes out” after 25-minute periods. No different than your PC or laptop slowing down after running a large programme or set of tasks.
Additionally, constant interruptions and distractions stop the brain from forming its new neural “pattern”. This is why turning your phone onto silent, turning off your email and Facebook, are so important while doing a “Pomodoro”.
Try it! Do 25-minute stints of uninterrupted study and work and see how much you can get done!
Sources: Learning how to Learn (and Work) Barbara Oakley, Oakland University
The Computational Brain, Dr Terrence Sejnowski, The Salk Institute.
Comments
Post has no comments.