The students preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, IAS, IPS, or state civil services often face challenges like not being able to maintain deep focus in their studies, being unable to manage time efficiently, and also burnout feelings during studies. Many of the toppers in competitive exams overcome these issues by effectively using a time management technique called ‘Pomodoro’.
This article contains:-
- What is the Pomodoro Time Management Method?
- Advantages of the Pomodoro technique
- Neuroscience behind Pomodoro
- 7-step technique to practise Pomodoro
- My personal experience
What is the Pomodoro Time Management Method?
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method that uses a timer to divide our work into focused intervals, typically 25 minutes, with a break of 5 minutes in between. After every four Pomodoros, a longer break of say 15–30 minutes is taken to recharge ourselves. Each interval is called a ‘Pomodoro’, the Italian word for tomato.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed in the late 1980s by an Italian university student at the time, Francesco Cirillo. He felt overwhelmed by his studies, and so one day challenged himself to focus for just 10 minutes using a kitchen timer shaped like a ‘tomato’. Upon discovering a successful technique, he later refined this into a formal method and published a book by the name “The Pomodoro Technique” in 2006.. The Pomodoro method has since then gained global popularity among students.
Advantages of the Pomodoro technique
A goal of the technique is to reduce the effect of internal and external interruptions of focus and flow
- Improves focus and discipline
- Minimizes distractions
- Reduce procrastination
- Better retention
- Prevention from burnout
- Objective tracking
- Increases motivation
Neuroscience behind Pomodoro
The prefrontal cortex, part of the brain, is the one responsible for concentration and willpower. It gets tired quickly when it is under continuous strain. When we are involved in any activity beyond 20–40 minutes, due to sustained attention, it leads to mental fatigue, errors, and reduced retention.
This issue can be overcome by practising the Pomodoro technique, as our brain gets frequent rest in between the tasks, thus allowing it to recover and sustain performance for a longer period of time. Moreover, whenever a person completes a pomodoro cycle, it gives him a sense of accomplishment, thus releasing a hormone called dopamine. This dopamine is the brain’s reward system, and it is tied to motivation and habit formation. Thus, a person gets into a positive motivation loop.
Brief breaks (5 minutes each in between), restore mental resources by switching to undirected attention, such as daydreaming or looking at nature, etc. Thu,s a person gets much mental clarity for the next session.
Our brain consolidates memory better when learning is not crammed and it is spaced out. Pomodoro technique supports spaced learning, thus allowing time between repetitions for hippocampus-based consolidation, which is known as the brain’s memory encoder. It also helps our brain to process and store information more effectively.
7 Steps to practise the Pomodoro method
- Pick up a task
- Set up a 25-minute timer on your clock
- Work on your task till it is completed
- Take a break for 5 minutes when the alarm rings after 25 minutes
- Start work again after the break
- Repeat this till work is completed
- After every four pomodoros, take a 15 to 30-minute break
My personal experience
While preparing for my state civil service exam, I got only a few hours of study time as I was serving in the Armed Forces. Hence, as soon as I came back from my duty, I just had a bath, eat some refreshments and immediately sat down for studies. The first task that I would do was to plan what I was going to study for the next, say, five hours I had before me. Then I used to note down in my book, as follows:-
- 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm – Chapter 1
- 7.00 pm to 8.00 pm- Chapter 1
- 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm – Revision
- 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm – Long break, Dinner etc
- 10.00 pm to 11.30 pm -Chapter 2
- 11.00 pm to 12.00 am – Revision
After every 50 minutes of study, I took a break for 10 minutes. During that break, I just took rest and did not engage in any distracting activity.
During that time, I did not know about the Pomodoro technique. I preferred 50 minutes time for a single session, because it is neither too long nor too short. The mind should get some time to get started, get engaged, assimilate, and retain.
I personally feel that 25 minutes is too short. But for those who are unable to sit even for 10 minutes at a stretch, they can go for 25 25-minute pomodoro technique, as Mr Francesco Cirillo did initially.
Conclusion
By working in short bursts with regular breaks, using the Pomodoro technique, you align your study routine with how your brain naturally performs best. This is a very important requirement if you are preparing seriously for much coveted posts like IAS/IPS, State civil services or entrance exams like IIT/JEE, NEET, Medical etc. Pomodoro technique will help you stay consistent, avoid burnout, and make every minute count, and thus help you achieve your dream goal
