The Simple Reason Why the Pomodoro Technique is a Terrible Productivity Tool
And what you should do instead
Like many productivity techniques, the Pomodoro Technique is overrated.
I tried it for 10 days before ditching it. Why? Because I found it too rigid to allow for creative work, and it was incredibly anxiety-inducing.
While I tried it, my productivity tanked, and my enjoyment of work along with it.
If you are unfamiliar with the Pomodoro Technique, here’s a quick primer:
- Choose a task
- Set a timer for 25 minutes
- Work for 25 minutes on that task
- Take a 5-minute break
- Repeat the process 4 times
- Take a 15–20 minute break
- Repeat the cycle
The premise is that short amounts of ultra-focused work and frequent, small breaks will make you more productive.
However, the opposite is true. Here’s why.
You need to achieve a “flow” state for peak productivity
If you want to create your best work, you need to enter “flow” — a state where you feel your best and perform your best.
You may also know it as “being in the zone,” or if you are a runner as “runner’s high.” It is in moments when you are fully absorbed in the task and your sense of self vanishes.
You feel alert, focused, and creative.
Time flies.
As a writer, I experience this state of “flow” fairly often. All I need is a challenging task, a relaxed mind, and a good cup of coffee.
However, I could not get focused when using the Pomodoro Technique. That was a strange realization. After all, I tested the technique because, according to various blogs and “productivity experts,” this technique was the answer to my never-ending quest for peak productivity.
The Pomodoro Technique prevents you from getting into “flow”
Wondering why my experiences were so different, and being the science geek that I am, I started to research. And lo and behold, I found something interesting.
Research shows that our brains need around 23 minutes until we have reached a state where we can do “deep work.”
No wonder I felt way less creative! I was interrupting myself just at the moment when my brain was getting ready for peak performance.
Furthermore, the 5-minute breaks are way too short of giving your brain sufficient rest and hence, are pretty useless.
In other words, by working in 25 — minute chunks, I was basically creating an environment of constant interruption, thereby limiting my ability to focus.
On top of that, the 25 — minute constraint was very anxiety-inducing. Somehow that time window seemed incredibly short. I became so anxious to produce anything valuable in such a short amount of time that my brain shut down.
It was a similar experience to taking exams at university. I had studied well and was well prepared. Yet the pressure to perform felt so enormous that I lost a significant amount of time simply staring at the papers.
And it is also no wonder why I enjoyed my work and life less.
According to Steven Kotler, best-selling author and flow-researcher, the more you live your life in “flow,” the happier you are.
The Hungarian American researcher and father of the flow concept Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi put it this way:
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times … The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
3 better techniques to improve productivity
1. Use time blocking and work within your ultradian rhythm
My favorite productivity technique is time blocking. That means I will decide which main task I will work on on a specific day and then block out 4 hours or more to exclusively work on that task.
I don’t set breaks beforehand because, as I have written before, I work best when I can focus for long stretches and then take a more extended break.
However, if you want to have predetermined breaks, it seems best to work for 90 minutes, then rest for 15–20 minutes. It helps to see your work — time as 90-minute cycles, just as you can view your sleep as cycles of 90 minutes.
American sleep researcher Nathanial Kleitman suggested that those 90-minute cycles were ongoing throughout a 24h period. He called it the “basic rest-activity cycle.” At the beginning of a 90–120 minute block, your alertness and focus increase, and after a peak begins to fall. Your brain then needs around 15–20 minutes of recovery.
2. Turn off distractions
In his book “The Art of Impossible,” Steven Kotler writes that we need to be able to put a sign on our door that says “Fuck off, I’m Flowing.” Only then can we do our best work.
You need at least 90 to 120 minutes of uninterrupted concentration.
That means no email, no phone calls, no slack messages. If you work from home like me, you need to make it clear to your partner and kids that you can not be disturbed during that time.
It may seem harsh, but the trade-off is worth it. Trust me on that one.
I have a hard time setting boundaries — especially with my partner. I don’t want to hurt her or give her the feeling that work is more important than our relationship.
However, I communicated to her that I needed this time for focused work to finish work quicker and more satisfied. In turn, we could spend more time together, and she would have even more of my attention during that time because I wouldn’t be thinking about work that still needed to be done.
3. Find your magic time
Everyone has periods when they feel most alert and most creative during their day. Maybe you are a morning bird and love to get stuff done before 10 am. Perhaps you are a night-owl and feel most creative and productive later in the day.
Despite what many “productivity gurus” might tell you, there is nothing magical about getting up super early. You also don’t need to work on your most important task first thing in the day.
What matters, however, is that you identify those times during a day when you feel your best — and slot in your most important work during that time.
Craig Ballantyne, the owner of “Early To Rise” calls this “magic time.” Make sure that you can work uninterrupted on your most important tasks during that time.
If you have been confined by the rules of the 9–5 corporate lifestyle, you might need to experiment a little to find out when your brain and body are at peak productivity.
However, once you’ve found your magic time, protect it at all costs. Use it to achieve peak productivity and make significant progress towards meaningful goals.
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