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Abstract

imuli. Take in your surroundings, and focus solely on your breath.</p><p id="1374">Not only is it more relaxing than browsing social media, but there are also <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797612441220">several studies reporting an increased retention rate of concepts studied before a mindful rest.</a></p><h2 id="64e2">3. Refueling</h2><p id="360f">Refill your water bottle, grab yourself a coffee, open the windows, or prepare some (healthy) snacks. Use the time during your break to improve the following minutes or hours of work.</p><p id="1f0a">Doing so, you usually also get a chance to change the scenery for a few minutes, which will likely improve your mood. When coming back to your workplace, you will feel ready to conquer your projects again.</p><h2 id="74d0">4. Learning a language</h2><p id="ffe5">Sounds like a lot to achieve for a 10-minute break? It is. But let’s take a bite-sized approach, shall we? I learned a lot of Spanish during the breaks of my study sessions with apps like duo-lingo or Anki flashcards.</p><p id="0099">Having short sessions of these interactive language learning games can be refreshing after demanding work. While you probably won’t become fluid with these apps, they will give you a great introduction and foundation, which you can build upon. At least that’s what they gave me.</p><h2 id="23a9">5. Scheduling a fun activity for the evening</h2><p id="8b9d">There is nothing better than having something to look forward to. Why not use a few minutes during your break to make plans with a friend for the evening? Let the anticipation of a fun night lead you through what’s left of your productive hours.</p><h2 id="b219">6. Practicing public speaking</h2><p id="8977"><b>Please</b>, don’t do this when you are studying inside a library. But if you are alone, grab a random topic and give a spontaneous speech. Walk around your room, make gestures, use different tonalities.</p><p id="b7eb">This is not only a fun challenge, but it will also improve your social skills — and prepare you for your upcoming TED-talk. It will teach you everything from presenting yourself, all the way up to developing idea

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s and arguments. And if you happen to be a writer, these speeches can also lay the foundation for your newest article!</p><h2 id="3e5d">7. Watering your plants</h2><p id="a2ff">Or plant something in the first place. Having some green life inside your room will make you happy and relaxed. Growing your own plants is a useful and rewarding activity.</p><p id="fd6d">Oftentimes, one forgets to water them, however. Therefore, it seems like a great idea to make a habit out of using your breaks for the benefit of your plants.</p><h2 id="be62">8. Gratitude journaling</h2><p id="fbd0">You can never remind yourself often enough of the things you are grateful for. Use your break to focus on what matters most to you. Afterward, you will feel more energized and motivated to get to work. Especially if your current project itself is what you are grateful for.</p><h2 id="1b32">9. Reviewing and structuring</h2><p id="f64f">You can also use your break to make the following session more efficient by reviewing what you have just done and what you need to focus on next. This way, you can be sure you are making progress while staying on the right track.</p><p id="0b7f">When studying, this usually includes summarizing learned concepts, which is beneficial for your retention rate. Especially if you aren’t already using active recall during your study sessions.</p><p id="3073">Also, you will have a nice summary of everything you did throughout the day. Providing you with a great foundation for mapping out the next day, too.</p><h2 id="6c2b">10. Finishing tasks from your list</h2><p id="e2c6">Alright, this task requires some preparation. Make a list with tasks that take up to 10 minutes and keep it ready for your Pomodoro breaks. During your break, pick a random task from that list and do it. Perfect.</p><p id="6add">Remember: Taking breaks is crucial when doing the Pomodoro technique. Even if you don’t feel like you have to, it will benefit your following sessions and improve your overall performance.</p><p id="b629">While breaks may hinder your ability to enter the flow state, the Pomodoro technique can help with studying and with overcoming procrastination. Why not give it a try?</p></article></body>

10 Things You Can Do During Your Pomodoro Breaks

Instead of going down social media rabbit holes.

Illustration by **Katerina Limpitsouni** at undraw.co

I love using the Pomodoro technique when studying or working on demanding projects. The idea behind it is to take a break before you actually need to so that you can work longer and more efficiently overall.

I usually go with 50 minutes of concentration, followed by a 10-minute break. But these few minutes are what make or break my productive day. Because in this time frame, I have to choose between going on my smartphone or doing literally anything else.

If I choose the first option, I am running into the risk of ending up inside a rabbit hole and, as a result, miss out on at least the next 50 minutes of work.

And even if I can control myself, social media will still have a lasting impact on my following work. I’ll be caught up in thoughts about the topics I’ve seen on Instagram or the pointless discussion I’ve read on Twitter.

But what else is there to do in such short time frames instead of checking our favorite social networks?

1. Juggling

Juggling comes first in this list since I had done it during Pomodoro breaks back in high school. Apart from it being an awesome skill to learn, there is also some evidence that it helps you form new connections in your brain.

Juggling also fits perfectly into breaks of 5 to 10 minutes since it’s a fun, quick challenge. Besides, you can quite quickly fathom your progress and be proud of your newly acquired skill.

2. Mindful resting

Close your eyes and just exist for a few minutes. Don’t overload your mental capacities by constantly bombarding them with new stimuli. Take in your surroundings, and focus solely on your breath.

Not only is it more relaxing than browsing social media, but there are also several studies reporting an increased retention rate of concepts studied before a mindful rest.

3. Refueling

Refill your water bottle, grab yourself a coffee, open the windows, or prepare some (healthy) snacks. Use the time during your break to improve the following minutes or hours of work.

Doing so, you usually also get a chance to change the scenery for a few minutes, which will likely improve your mood. When coming back to your workplace, you will feel ready to conquer your projects again.

4. Learning a language

Sounds like a lot to achieve for a 10-minute break? It is. But let’s take a bite-sized approach, shall we? I learned a lot of Spanish during the breaks of my study sessions with apps like duo-lingo or Anki flashcards.

Having short sessions of these interactive language learning games can be refreshing after demanding work. While you probably won’t become fluid with these apps, they will give you a great introduction and foundation, which you can build upon. At least that’s what they gave me.

5. Scheduling a fun activity for the evening

There is nothing better than having something to look forward to. Why not use a few minutes during your break to make plans with a friend for the evening? Let the anticipation of a fun night lead you through what’s left of your productive hours.

6. Practicing public speaking

Please, don’t do this when you are studying inside a library. But if you are alone, grab a random topic and give a spontaneous speech. Walk around your room, make gestures, use different tonalities.

This is not only a fun challenge, but it will also improve your social skills — and prepare you for your upcoming TED-talk. It will teach you everything from presenting yourself, all the way up to developing ideas and arguments. And if you happen to be a writer, these speeches can also lay the foundation for your newest article!

7. Watering your plants

Or plant something in the first place. Having some green life inside your room will make you happy and relaxed. Growing your own plants is a useful and rewarding activity.

Oftentimes, one forgets to water them, however. Therefore, it seems like a great idea to make a habit out of using your breaks for the benefit of your plants.

8. Gratitude journaling

You can never remind yourself often enough of the things you are grateful for. Use your break to focus on what matters most to you. Afterward, you will feel more energized and motivated to get to work. Especially if your current project itself is what you are grateful for.

9. Reviewing and structuring

You can also use your break to make the following session more efficient by reviewing what you have just done and what you need to focus on next. This way, you can be sure you are making progress while staying on the right track.

When studying, this usually includes summarizing learned concepts, which is beneficial for your retention rate. Especially if you aren’t already using active recall during your study sessions.

Also, you will have a nice summary of everything you did throughout the day. Providing you with a great foundation for mapping out the next day, too.

10. Finishing tasks from your list

Alright, this task requires some preparation. Make a list with tasks that take up to 10 minutes and keep it ready for your Pomodoro breaks. During your break, pick a random task from that list and do it. Perfect.

Remember: Taking breaks is crucial when doing the Pomodoro technique. Even if you don’t feel like you have to, it will benefit your following sessions and improve your overall performance.

While breaks may hinder your ability to enter the flow state, the Pomodoro technique can help with studying and with overcoming procrastination. Why not give it a try?