Beating Distraction with the Pomodoro Method

Find it difficult to stay focused? You are not alone. The ability to focus is increasingly challenging. Incessant notifications, dopamine-rewarding media, and the myth of multi-tasking have degraded productivity and reading capacity. Perhaps, then, it is no surprise that fewer than 23% of American adults have read a book (in whole or part) in the last year.  Even more shockingly, The Atlantic recently noted that many freshmen arrive at elite American universities without ever having read a book in its entirety.

The good news is that—despite the worst of our habits—you and I can retrain our brains and break the power of distraction. All you need is a kitchen timer. 

The Pomodoro Method 

Studies have shown that we are most productive and creative in periods of deep work. But deep work can only happen by maintaining undistracted focus on a single task — something that we struggle to do in the age of distraction.  

One fantastic way of building and maintaining focus is the Pomodoro method. Named after a tomato-inspired kitchen timer (pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian), this technique cultivates deep work by calling you to focus for four 25-minute periods. Each period has a 5-minute break in-between. You set the timer for 25 min and do your focused work. No snack breaks, scrolling, texting, or multi-tasking. Just refreshingly undistracted focus.  

When the timer goes off, set it for five minutes and take a break. Drink some water. Walk the hall. Get a snack. But only for five minutes. Once the timer dings, you move into another 25-minute focus session. Complete four focus sessions at a time and then take a longer break of 15–30 minutes. 

DND 

Tomato time is best combined with the awesomest feature on your iPhone: Do Not Disturb. Set it for an hour or keep it on until you disable it. DND keeps notifications from butting in. If you really need to, you can set it up to allow critical texts or calls to come through — but I would limit that to immediate family members only. The silence is glorious.  

Tomato Tips 

Here are some ways to maximize your tomato time: 

• break up larger tasks: I use pomodoro to focus on projects like writing (I wrote this in two tomatoes) or reading. I find the method super helpful when reading content that is dense or challenging  

• gather up smaller tasks: rather than doing smaller tasks (sending an email, paying a bill, making an appointment) when they come to mind, I keep a list and then dedicate a period to them. This not only keeps my focused work from being distracted, it keeps my administrative tasks from taking over my life.  

• focus at your best: since I am a morning person, I focus creative tasks into early morning tomato time and leave the admin tasks for afternoons. Learn what works best for you.  

• avoid the socials: when you are in focus mode, don’t check your texts, IG, or other socials during your 5min breaks. If you do, you’ll find it more difficult to switch back into focus mode. Instead, wait for the longer break. The world will still be there when you do, I promise.  

• don’t squash: once you start, commit to working through the whole period. If there is time left, review your work, write a one sentence summary of what you’ve, or re-read the conclusion. This discipline pays off.  

You might be surprised how challenging a four-period pomodoro is the first time you try it. But here is what will really surprise you: your mind will be clearer and more focused, you will be more energized, you will enjoy and understand your reading, and you will get things done—much more than you imagined. 

Do You Pomodoro? 

While the method is designed for four 25-minute periods, it can be adapted in a number of ways.  

I use the Pomodoro feature in TogglTrack — which allows me not only to use the method but to track how long I spend on projects. Session is another simple app for Apple OS with an excellent Pomodoro timer. 

Grab a timer, silence your phone, and do your first tomato. One focused session can change the way you work.