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The Pomodoro is more for people who have trouble getting started. “Just work for as long as you can” sounds like an infinite hell to me. And I’ll never start because it feels so daunting. But “work for 25 mins and then take a break” makes everything feel so much more manageable

I have ADHD and I personally have found that the pomodoro method is the only study method that actually works for me. If I get into that workflow state I will be stuck in it for 12 hours and forget to eat lmao. Those breaks prevent me from getting sucked into hyperfocus while also keeping me motivated and not getting burnt out

I'm actually using the pomodoro technique, because it helps me to reduce the barrier of getting started to work on something. If I start under the premise that I will work for 5 hours straight, then I'll probably procrastinate instead of get going. And there are also timers that don't make a disturbing noise or anything, but just have a silent and really tiny popup that tell you, you have been working for 25 minutes or whatever amount of time you have set to be one pomodoro. Often I then just keep going and proceed working. I completely agree that it's important to not artificially limit the time you're working on something by using a timer, because you'll otherwise might never reach a flow state. I can recommend to everybody to try it out and to see what works for you the best. Other than that nice video again ;).

The idea behind the pomodoro is that Francesco Cirillo discovered by testing on himself that after about 25-30 mins he noticed his productivity would start to dip, so by taking a quick break you're essentially resting your productivity. It's a good idea, however it's not exactly 25 mins for everyone, some people can go longer. A more accurate modern understanding is just like daddy Huberman said, 90 mins is max concentration blocks for the majority of people.

I use the pomodoro timers specifically for work tasks that I need to focus on. Not necessarily studying. Im finding that it works quite well in helping me focus on what I need to do, and helps me prevent distraction. Ive tried using it for language learning, but Ive always felt that I want to continue after the timer. Im not going to watch a spanish TV show and stop half way through because the timer went off :P

I agree that when you do something where you may enter a flow state like language learning, unnecessarily inserting pauses all the time does nothing but harm. Better to do it in one go and go for as long as you can. However, I still use the pomodoro technique extensively for particularly boring and tedious tasks. At 6:56 you ask "Why have a timer at all? Is your cognitive function supposed to know that your timer has gone off?" and as ridiculous as it may sound to you, yes, that's exactly what it is. Once I click on "start" on my timer, I CANNOT procrastinate anymore and I CANNOT allow myself any pauses until my scheduled pause comes up. The act of clicking the button is a seal of commitment about what I'm going to do with my next 25 minutes. There is no backing out of it. The hardest part about getting stuff done and not procrastinating is the start; the pomodoro timer makes this easy because I just have to click the button. I can click on a button and get 25 minutes of productivity out of it, a dream for any procrastinator. It's not about the pauses for me, it's not about the number 25, it's just about the fact that I allotted a time slot to a task and that I cannot back out of that commitment anymore. So in summary, I agree that the pauses are inefficient and psychologically nonsensical, I agree that I'm sacrificing some productivity by using pomodoro, but on the other hand, it greatly reduces the risk of me mindlessly dawdling away the next 4 hours on the internet. I use pomodoro to hold myself accountable.

So. I’ve been talking about this at work recently. (I’m about half way through the video so forgive me if I mention something you cover later - I will adjust this comment if that’s the case!). I actually do use this technique… for activities I don’t want to do. For activities I do want to do (like language learning), there’s no way I’d limit my work to 25 or 45 minutes. Like you, I’d be seriously irritated if something interrupted my flow. But for something I don’t want to do (like a course I’m studying for work right now), something I find so utterly boring I want to claw my eyes out, but that is a requirement to continue being employed and so has to be done, this technique is useful. I will never enter any kind of flow state with this course. I will jump on just about any distraction as a reason to justify either not starting to study, or stopping it. So I actually do use this technique as a sort of ‘reward’ system. If I study for 25 minutes, I can do something ‘fun’ for 5 minutes. Or if I study for 45 minutes, I can do something ‘fun’ for 10-15 minutes. Like listen to music or something (or a a Turkish podcast! 😂). I know that’s not necessarily the way it was designed, but that’s how I use it. The 5 or 10 minutes is the carrot, so to speak. It works for me. But yeah, I’d personally never use it for language learning. Okay. Off to watch the second half now… Editing to answer your final question. When doing something I really enjoy, like language learning, I can lose myself in time. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like nothing else exists outside of what I’m doing. I put my head down and when I lift it back up five hours have passed. The tomato technique would 100% hinder my language learning activities and I would hate the interruption. I stand by my statement for things I hate but have to do though. For things I spend hours and hours and hours on and then look at my watch to find only 30 seconds have passed… well, that oven timer is a welcome relief!

Pomidor is probably the second most common word for tomato. It translates to Golden Apple.

Hello Lamont, This is a VERY relatable video I know I have never commented on your videos but I REALLY enjoy them and especially this one as it quite rebellious and I am a big fan of videos that challenge the stereotypes in the world of productivity Keep the good work going!!

For working on a single large task, I'm like you -- I get into that "flow state" and just sit there for hours until I come to a natural break. Where I've used pomodoros before and thought it was helpful was for getting a variety of small tasks done on a to-do list that I didn't want to do. I found it especially helpful for cleaning my apartment, which I'm ALWAYS putting off and never actually reach a "flow state" for. I actually really liked breaking down the cleaning into small 25 minute chunks, since it's usually more of a collection of a bajillion smaller annoying tasks anyways, and I found it more helpful to face one 25 minute chunk at a time than facing the entire mess as a whole. Having the break times set for 5 minutes was also nice, because otherwise I have the tendency to turn a quick break into an hour of distractions. Haven't done it in years, though, which may be why my apartment is usually messy... ha! For most other things that actually have more of a "flow" to get into, I agree with you. When I've tried doing this with writing or studying I find myself constantly checking the timer, or working into my break times because I was in a groove.

I did something called Anime-doro, learned about it from a youtuber. Where I'd work for 50-60min and then watch an anime episode. Worked better for me than pomodoro, and actually felt rested after the break. Gave up after a while though cause i'd rather work until I hit a wall (or start to notice an increase in inattention errors), and then go for a walk, then the alternative. This typically works out to block of more than an hour, with break of 15-20 minutes when needed.

Another problem with this idea when it comes to language learning is that it doesn't account for the natural breaks that occur within study materials. If I'm watching a Disney film in Spanish, there are going to be 5-minute action scenes, 5-minute song and dance routines, and all kinds of other interruptions in the pure Spanish dialogue. Even if I'm listening to an audiobook of pure Spanish, some of it is going to be very easy, familiar language that my brain can effortlessly process. So, if you get an hour of Spanish input, it likely already includes sufficient break time for your brain to relax, recover, and operate at close to maximum efficiency.

Thank you for bringing in some scientific data I never heard of! When I was self-studying, I would use a timer to get a rough idea of how long I had been working on each topic. I remember being surprised to find that no matter the subject, it would very often be multiples of 45 minutes (45min, 1h30, 2h15). It might have something to do with the 90 minutes you mentioned. I’ll go look up the podcast, cheers for referencing it!

I'm in my 50s and I first heard of working in 25 minute chunks when in college; the 80s. It never worked for me.

“Pomidor” is Polish for tomato 😅

You videos are so good! I am happy that you have been uploading so many recently

I independently discovered the "pomodoro technique" while studying German (30 min, broken up by a few min of physical activity). This technique helped me get through extreme study sessions throughout my bachelor's and master's as well as any other time I found myself in a time-crunch. *The perseverant ticking of the timer (I have an entire collection) is what puts me into an almost trance-like state.* The point is you break something insurmountable up into bite-sized chunks. Of course a long flow-state is good for productivity, but looking at something "fresh" multiple times a study session is good for learning in my experience. In other words, I remember stuff better. Also, multi-hour flow states seem to require more artificial stimulation in my experience (caffeine, nootropics, etc.).

I've mostly heard of the pomodoro technique in home cleaning and organizing parts of the nternet, where mental health creates blocks to starting and some folks are prone to cleaning for hours on end for a day then doing nothing for a month. For me, I have problems starting things no matter how fun I find them, so I set a timer for 10 minutes and silence it because by then I've started, and I can continue

Depending on the task, 2-3 hrs is my magic flow state. But for writing it’s more like 5 hrs. That said, I’m prone to going too long without breaks when it comes to difficult tasks that require greater concentration. Burnout without accomplishment is awful. And so the only thing I use Tomato Timing for is language learning. 😂 I don’t really rest during the breaks though. I use that time to make a cup of tea and quietly review what I’ve learned in my head. Sometimes I summarize what I’ve learned and think about how I would explain a particular grammar point to a seven year old. Other times I just repeat a common useful phrase to gain better pronunciation. I’ve been using the 🍅 for learning Ukrainian and it’s been very useful. I’m seven weeks into my textbook and surely would have given up by now if I hadn’t gone so slowly and carefully.

As someone in Software, I think timers can be very useful for timeboxing things. It's a field where there are a lot of problems that aren't obviously easily solvable and having a limit on "I'm going to spend 20 mins to 2h working on this and if I can't get anywhere I'll change tack or ask for help or do something else (and deprioritise this)" However, that doesn't make them obviously useful for learning or anything, just not getting stuck.

i dont think its supposed to help you learn faster more like to keep you concentrated coz i have a problem with procrastination and it helps me have some kind of routine it is not something magical that will make you fluent in a language or do your test, its more like so your mind doesnt wonder off when you are doing a task but at the same time it doesnt fry you coz you dont have any breaks.

Love your work mate.

I pull out my timer (which is not technically a pomo timer because I can customize work time and break time) when I'm having trouble getting motivated. I usually don't need to use it more than once, but it helps me get through the things I really don't want to start. Once I start, I can keep rolling without the timers.

It helps me with a different more soothing timer, and for like an indicator to stretch, but for sure not 30 minutes, but rather an hour or just until I start to feel some brain fog. Though I also feel it depends on the person’s work type, like do you want to work in intervals, or work in one long stretch without interruption, or perhaps work a bit in the morning, then a bit at lunch, and a hit in the afternoon? Like thus isn’t one size fits all but maybe for a few

I like the technique. I'm a highschool student, so I've got 10 or so different subjects that all require 1 or 2 tasks that I do per day along with up to 3 pomodoros of anki reviews (not necessarily for languages). This system allows me to list the tasks, prioritise them, log the data of that work and so on. Additionally, it allows me to dedicate time for language immersion, not much, just 2 pomodoros or 50 minutes- maybe that's a KZfaq video or two in my TL... All I know is that this works for me. These are not really large tasks like writing or music composition, for those, no timer is better, yes. But my workflow is almost entirely creating resources (such as anki cards) memorisation and it's just perfect. If I put something on there, it WILL get done. For me, I can still achieve a "flow state" of some kind, but it's just spread across multiple tasks. Also, I have the timer muted, so it's just the popup in the corner of my screen.

I completely agree with you! I used to use the pomodoro technique, but I soon stopped, because I best work in 2h-3h chunks, and taking breaks was detrimental, so I usually skipped them all.

finally someone addressing this topic!

I respect a man making a whole video because a timer popped up in his lofi video. I aspire to be this petty

Really thought you were going to say: I was forced to go where no one wants to go, … Reddit. I think timers (less intrusive ones preferably lol) could make sense for reminders to stand up and move around if you’re working for long periods (I also can get in good work states for hours at a time and that sometimes results in being hardly able to stand up afterward lol) but I still don’t actually do that. I don’t need to take a mental break that often but standing up is decent advice… I agree the 25 min is nonsensical tho, I’ve barely dipped into a flow state at that point, and then I’m always checking to see how much time is left.

I've used the Pomodoro method a few times, mostly for work. The 25 minutes is arbitrary, but having a time limit is good. Once you're in the groove, you usually just set the timer again. It helps with starting and stopping tasks. Taking breaks can be good for moving and stretching if you are sedentary. Sometimes you can get stuck on something and it feels terrible if you're keeping yourself at the computer just because you aren't done with something yet. I think it can help practice time awareness too. I haven't kept up with it, but it's a good technique to try.

I find it easier to focus when I let go of the need to worry about when to stop or when to switch tasks. As I gained more trust in the timer, I allowed myself to focus more easily and more deeply. Anecdotes are not data, but this is the plausible mechanism.

You are right. I started using it because I as having trouble focusing. It worked really well for a bit, but once I got into things and I needed more time, I stopped using it and now I just do as you say, have breaks. Otherwiser is counter productive for me.

I definitely agree that I seem to have periods of 'flow' etc. where I do really good work in much larger time periods, maybe around 3-5 hours. I think the issue is that it's hard to initiate these periods artificially, or even predict when they might come about. I think working in this way is probably what is most natural to us, and also most pain-free, since working on whatever you are doing doesn't really feel like work in these periods. However, I guess it's only really practical for stuff where you are very flexible. E.g. for creatives this is great, they have very lax deadlines usually and a lot of flexibility about how and when they work. This also importantly applies to hobbies ( like language learning) so there's probably something to take away there. For stuff that needs more regular work then you will need to force yourself to work even under imperfect mental conditions which is where 'techniques' like pomodoro come in I guess. I see it less as a way to improve work quality and more as a way to break down work that you don't really want to do into more manageable periods which allow you to 'count down' the periods which makes it easier (think counting down the days of a prison sentence etc.) and also gives you regular rewards (breaks) to keep you going.

Love these videos 😊

Well said. Find your own method/rhythm and just go - flow.

I made the method only work for me once. It only worked for 2 reasons. One, I used it becase I wanted to do something like Lamont's 1000 cramming flashcard challenge. The thought of it was giving me the chills imagining how long it would take me. So telling myself I got to have a break in 25 minutes actually enabled me to start. Then the second reason I discovered it helped while doing it was it became kind of a game to complete as many cards as possible within 25 minutes. Thus it made me want to focus immedietly and result in me being more productive in the 25 minutes. But I rarely work/study like that. For 99% of other tasks which have lot's of unexpected stops and starts, it's just a nuisance.

While I've never heard about Pomodoro before now, I'm doing something similar. I've ADD and I find focusing on certain tasks to be quite difficult so the point of this for me is not to take break but split up the time-periods into smaller segments where it is easier to hold myself accountable and keep up a certain tempo. And if I get in a flow, I'd just ditch the timer. It's a tool and not something that should boss over you. I'm not using this for everything, just in places like writing where I need an extra push to help me get going.

I use pomodoros not to get myself to take breaks every 25 minutes, but rather to keep me from taking breaks every 2 minutes. My attention span can barely even hold on for that long.

Thank you!

I think Pomodor can work well for procrestinators, where starting is the main hurdle. 25 mintues sounds less intimidating than "doing a task until it's finished". If I really fall into the work and it's particularly mentally taxing (i.e. formulas, problem solving, etc.) I usually feel drained after about 2 hours. If it's less mentally taxing (data input, etc.), 5-8 hours are feasable as well.

I use the pomodoro method for tasks which are easy to fall into micro daydreams on. For example I recently had to read about 20 boring policy docs. I found for that use case it really helped me avoid wasting time staring at a screen reading the same line over and over.

I have tried the pomodoro technique several times. It works as a startup thing. But when I get started those 5 minute breaks makes me crazy. So, after that first 5 minute break I just start the next 25 minute thing and don't give a shit after that. Works every time... hahaha. I just want to get the work done. I have done four and five hours sitting in front of my computer working on stuff in total concentration. Afterwards I realise a toilet break is imminently needed. But... flow is a beautiful thing.

Research shows that sitting(not moving) for 30+ minutes can have adverse health effects. Plenty of studies showing obesity markers, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and musculoskeletal issues. I hear what you mean though. I spend inordinate amounts of time focused and working. Especially when fasting, I can go for 6+ hours without a break. I bought a standing desk to bypass the issues of sitting, as I can stretch while working at the same time. Great video.

I liked the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport because it gave me the perspective that it’s better to carve out a 2 hour undisturbed period vs these small sections with little breaks. Now with your children this can be hard, but I just wake up earlier. I’d definitely rather have a longer focused period and wait to take a break until my brain gets to the point that I can’t really describe, but I can tell when I hit a wall.

I have a focus/distraction issue, so it takes me about 20 minutes to really settle and start getting into flow. If a timer went off 5 minutes after I just got into the "zone," that timer would be flying out the window in VERY short order! Lol.

Man your jokes are hilarious AND add to your point and make your point across. I love it.

I’ll add to the chorus of tomato-defending voices by saying that I have also occasionally found this technique helpful. I have ADHD and sometimes find it really difficult to get into a focused state to begin with. For instance, I often find that when I try to read a novel, particularly in the early phases before I’m hooked, I’ll end up staring into space, lost in my own thoughts, rather than reading. If I set a timer for 25 min and pledge to read X pages before the timer goes off, this can be really effective way to build up momentum. I certainly agree that having a timer go off in the middle of a deeply focused state would be really obnoxious, but I suppose I only use the trick when I’m having difficulty getting focused in the first place. I get the impression that maybe you don’t have much trouble getting focused? (If so, I’m envious)!

Great video. 👍

I've been using it for studying. Trust me I would have done 0 minutes of study without it but I've been able to do 20+ hours which is huge for me. The fact that it makes you take a break when you don't feel tired is what helped me sustain energy and study for the whole day

Great video! I used to set a timer as a motivation to get started. Usually, I would skip the break and just set another timer. I can't stay focused for a long time unless I'm stressed, so I approximately work for an hour before I take a break (I'm talking about studying/writing papers for Uni, not language learning). I get that the alarm going off could interrupt your workflow, so it's definitely not for everyone.

I find using a timer to work for a certain time and take a break for a certain time is helpful because it gives me a work-then-reward system that keeps me focused during the working time whereas without the timer I would not be able to focus at all. That's probably because of ADHD tho

So, ADHD. Lots of people have mentioned it. Lots of people have it. In my case, I use timers but it's the amount of time I want and I usually need short spurts to get through overwhelming things or things I really do not want to do, like busywork. I've also spent a lot of time learning not to get too engrossed in things because if I do, I don't attend to necessary tasks. A longer timer helps me feel that it's okay to focus on something because I'll be able to bring myself out. I'll do three hours with a break each hour. If I allowed myself, I could probably manage 10 hours or so, but my dog would suffer, so I don't.

I just study and then stop when I don’t want to study anymore because I’m tired. I enjoy language learning. If I do pomodoro, I find myself just watching the clock.

I agree that we do not want to be interrupted when in the flow, but after reading the comments I will try a Pomodoro App on my phone to force me to get stuff done that I am not keen on doing.

I’ve tried the pomodoro technique several times, but have never been able to make it work. I’m always either done my task before the ping, but not so much before that it makes sense to start a new task, or I’m not done the task when the ping comes and don’t feel like stopping. I also never manage to finish making my tea in the short break. It’s much easier to just take breaks at natural times, like when you can’t think anymore or when you’ve finished a task.

Imo it really depends on the person and their preferences. For me, the Pomodoro Method would not work for the reasons you mentioned. I'm a big procrastinator, but when I get into something, I can grind for hours... so the 25-minute limit would just kill my grind. But for someone with a shorter attention span who is intimidated by the size of (insert thing they're supposed to be working on), breaking down the process into work-break chunks may be the best solution even if objectively it's inefficient.

I have a hard time starting studying sometimes getting sidetracked over and over again. So I feel if I have intentional study I need to do, doing it 1st thing in the morning works for me before my brain gets caught in all the distractions of the day. I could see for some people they need a crutch to get going and with this they are like I am just going to do a least 3 study reps for 25 minutes then I can play, and this might work for them(its more the commitment and the measure of said commitment), not everyone is going to be derailed by the timer going off and I have seen many people say keep going if you are in the groove. I think it's more about have a tangible commitment that some people work better with that I am going to do at least this much. I do like having goals myself like I want to read one chapter, watch and episode etc. So I don't do the Pomodoro but I do like having the daily goals for a sense of accomplishment , so if this is a placebo that helps you push through that awesome.

5 minutes! That is the magical time frame to get me started forcing myself to do some compulsary task that I actually don't want to do at all. I will tell and cajole myself that I am able to do that task for just 5 minutes and if I do I will not die and I will not have ruined my life. I love your rant! In Gemany they have Pampelmusen - that's a funny name, too! It could be fruitful for some method that you need to name! Examples of when I need my 5 minutes method - trying to learn some ew paragraphs of the European Union's case law regulations; - filing a questionary about something authorities want to know, but I couldn't care less; - writing a letter of complaint about a product and having to balance between 1) getting a refund and 2) being sarcastic and burn all bridges; - sorting out a cabinet with old, but usable clothes and be forced to decide about their destiny; - fix a health meal when I really long for dark chocolate; - etc If I really want to do something I need no props at all, and no time-limits; not even a cup of tea to get me started, and then I only "wake up" from the activity when it feels like ants in my legs, because I have forgotten to move them at all. So, Lamont - I think it is a spectrum - and one should never force children to stay in a classroom sitting still for more than 10 minutes even, they should always have a chance to move their legs a little, or to joke about something, or any comical relief. Compulsary school is not easy to manage. If there is a good school yard, 40 min well structured lessons and 20 min breaks with vigorous play outside is doable for 3 or max 4 lessons, if the lessons are made interesting and with active participation. Otherwise it is animal cruelty applied to kids. In my not humble opinion. We should be caring about adults, too!

I had never even heard of this technique 😅 I do like your take on it, good common sense approach.

I do not see a point in a static amount of breaks, i usually assign a length a task takes and if it is more than an hour then maybe i will include a break otherwise I'm just going to do the task all the way through, as a break itself is a distraction. I prefer breaks after an Hour, although it definetely depends on the difficulty of the task, 30 minutes is way too short as a person than gets easily distracted.

I tried it a few years ago, but I found it more disruptive to my productivity. I barely got going before I "had" to take a break, so I dumped that technique real quick along with all the others and just work when and for how long I can / need to.

I like to take longer blocks for things that require creativity or deeper work. Pomodoro is really helpful for me for mundane tasks or things I hate doing like emails or cleaning.

The small chunks idea is to get you started where you otherwise wouldn't, and to give relief from dull boring tasks that would otherwise be a waste of time pushing through. It gives your conscious mind a chance to "let go" of the stuff so the subconscious can begin to work on it, which it will not do while you are consciously engaged. Odd example: you are trying to recall the name of an actor in a movie and you think it over and over and you just will not get it. You turn to someone and ask "whats the name of the actor in..." and BAM the answer pops into your head. Or you have a shower or something else where your mind is off or distracted and BAM the answer comes. By actively thinking on it you told the subconscious you wanted the answer and it went and got it BUT it was not going to give it to you until you stopped consciously trying. You signaled you gave up when you turned to someone else to ask. Same concept in languages or learning anything. Your job is to take it in consciously then let it go so the subconscious can have it. Think of conscious as ram and subconscious as your hard drive. So there will be more benefit to do 30 minutes of translation, 30 minutes of scriptorium and watch a 30 minute target language TV show each day than trying to do 90 minutes of scriptorium. Likewise you will get better results doing scales for 30 minutes and then 30 minutes of tab when learning guitar than 60 minutes of scales, because the other 30 minutes of scales is pointless because your ram is full and the hard drive wont touch it until you stop, so to speak. BUT if you are doing something you know you flow with, then keep flowing. Pomodora should not be viewed as a absolute for all things. But for mundane things it is great.

Love it when Lamont takes down a sacred cow. Opinionated but never unfair.

thanks a lot for the mention :) In my experience, the pomodoro method helps with things I do not feel like doing (e.g. taxes) or when I am procrastinating, it can help to be like "ok, I will switch off instagram, whatsapp, etc." and focus for 25 minutes. So I think it can help people with concentration difficulties or also anyone who is feeling lazy about a certain task. Or if you forget to take breaks, it can also help I think, you can do "several pomodoros" in a working session and just take short breaks to move a bit or drink some water. I find the name is actually cute hehe

Wow! How did you get hold of a 5.25 inch floppy disc? I'm wiping away tears of nostalgia just looking at a still frame of it. I can't work for more than an hour without needing a break.

I've never tried working with a timer. But I know that different types of work demand different lengths of sessions. In my teens I practiced the piano rather seriously (in my own opinion at least), and I found the ideal length of a practice session to be about an hour, with 15-minute breaks in between. If I went on for too long without a break, I would be mentally tired from analysing my own playing. Also, playing any instrument obviously puts stress on the body, too (I'll admit piano is one of the better ones there), and I didn't want to get tendonitis. For less physical, more creative work, I find that good sessions often can last between three and five hours, and the main problem is getting into that flow, being somewhat of a scatterbrain. I wanted to say this because I think it's easy to believe that everything connected to the creative arts (e.g. practicing an instrument) is creative work, when in reality it isn't necessarily so.

I like this take! Early in college I tried pomodoro and it only worked occasionally. I figured out that if I cannot make myself start something, I can say “well I only have to do it for 25 minutes” and that helps. But if I have a decent amount of motivation I’d rather work indefinitely (as long as I remember to eat)

Great vid, Lamont. Posters who mention using the technique as a way of getting started have a good point, although that isn't generally the way the technique is marketed. My own experience is that I prefer shorter sessions (not necessarily 25 minutes or any pre-planned time limit) when studying something difficult - pausing when I feel my brain start to hurt. When working (as opposed to studying), or completing assignments, I much prefer to get in a groove and go for hours on end. Even when taking a break to prepare something to eat, I find myself still thinking about the task. At times like this, I don't see any benefit to shifting my focus.

The Pomodoro technique works, due to concentrated study. There have been studies also on how much a person remembers, and it is usually the beginning and ending of something. The middle aspect many forget. If they want to remember the middle, then make more beginnings and endings. Reviews of spaced repetition is also in this to commit into long term memory. Sessions like 10 mins. after, one hour after, 24 hrs. after, 1 week after, 1 month after, 3 months after and 6 months after.

I come from the writing community. The only think I like about the pomodoro is the that they time the breaks in between as well. So you work for 25 and then you have a five minute break. It keeps the chatting between the work to a minimum. Where I find shorter sprints (30 minutes or less) is on low energy days. Because then I spend 20 minutes cleaning and that may be the only cleaning I get done. For example I may take one sprint to fold clothes, but then I find I actually have finished that chore and I work on something else to finish off the sprint so I actually get more done, but because I have given myself limited time I actually get more done. Probably the best thing I get out of sprints (in my writing community) is that if I have gotten off track, started watching youtube or doom-scrolling the end of the sprint brings me back. So it will bring back my focus if I stray. And I actually like 45 minute sprints because I have time to get into my work without feeling like I am going to be brought out of it just as I get into it. Also as I have gotten older, after 45 minutes it is great to get up and walk around for a minute to stretch. I find that I sometimes get into something and then forget to stretch or move around or go to the bathroom and so the break in the sprint is kinda a reset for that. Also because I am a parent, sometimes it is a great way to hold of the kids, 'at the end of this sprint I will help you with this'. But going back to the original point, I think sprints are great for tracking what you are doing not necessarily in increasing productivity on it's own.

I'd never heard of the pomodoro method before. But what I'd kind of worked out for myself is if I gave myself a big number "I should compose an hour a day" I'd get stuck on "Do i reaaaally have an hour to do al that now?" but if I gave myself 15 min and then permission to quit that it was short enough for me to start but more often than not my brain would click into that flow state and I'd want to press on pass that. On the long end programming for work five hours is probably my limit. I maybe even should take a break (longer than bathroom/snack) but I get into this just one more thing state until my brain is fried. I don't know if I could be more productive during work if I had a longer break, but normally that burnout takes a while to snap out even after leaving work for the day. I also don't imagine I'm unique in this.

Totally agree the best way to learn is spending every free minute doing it if you love it this is easy

We remember the first and last (recency) thing better. So the more starts and stops, the more we remember. So its a good memory technique for retention; but yes, if you are creating, writing, etc. it would be better to stay in flow.

I'm doing the Pomodoro Method and it works so well for me.

Pomodoro is far less scary, BUT, once you start, you quickly realise it's just cutting you off far too regularly, so it's just better to find your own flow state.

Thank you for standing up to Big Tomato! :D

THANK YOU! someone finally said it. I'm ADHD af and so already stupid distractible, and it already takes me longer than 25 mins on average to even GET INTO "work mode". If I reach that glorious rare flow state I can go for anything between 6-8 hrs straight no problem. But if something interrupts my flow or work mode though, it's incredibly difficult to get back into it, and incredibly easy to look up an hour later from something super random I started doing instead of what I was supposed to be doing. This is why I have my phone on do not disturb when I work, just the buzz of a notification can rip me out of flow and then I'm in danger of getting distracted with some random other thing, and when I finally tear myself away it takes me another 30mins + to get back into high productivity mode. It's also why I only listen to playlists (and yeah, I also love lofi and am also particular about what kind of lofi XD ) that I've already curated myself, because a new track would immediately grab my attention and take me out of it. So tanking all this into account, Pomodoro, to me personally, has always sounded like.... completely incomprehensible nonsensical counter productive bovine excrement indeed. Interestingly though, I know that a lot of peeps with ADHD find it super helpful. which is crazy to me, but it's true that we all work differently, and so honestly, if it helps, all the power to them! :) Though I feel like it maybe has to do less with it being an effective interval and more with tricking your easily overwhelmed ADHD ass into actually starting a task because 25 mins is a lot less daunting than several hours, so it takes less effort to force yourself to sit down and get started. And then they probably don't even need the timer anymore... unless it's for reminders to keep working or get back to work on the bad distraction days. 🤔 Getting started in the first place is by far the most difficult as an ADHDer tho so I figure this may be a good psychological trick for some. Aaaaand I overshared and rambled again. whoops.

Language learning just isn't a good application of the method. It's a lot better for just doing general tasks like chores or something, but I find is distracting and annoying when I'm actually trying to learn something. I'll regularly work for about 3-4 hours chunks when trying to learn new things or accomplish an important task for work or school.

As long as it helps some people, that good, isn't it? There will never be a product, technique or whatsoever that pleases everyone. I can understand your critique though. What if you are in the flow and then you have to interrupt yourself after 25 min. And yes, how about doctors/surgeon, etc. it seems practical more for office based jobs/work. I read somewhere one should walk around every 30 min so maybe this technique will help with being a bit healthier.

You are not that much of an outlier at all! If I'm really invested in something (dev work, so coding) I can do a full 3 to 4 hours with no breaks. (Unless my bladder disagrees, lol) Adding a timer / external interruption really f's with programming because that *ding* could potentially throw me off of a solution to something that takes quite a while to mull through. on other days, 20 minutes can feel like torture.. I break up learning languages into much shorter blocks. 10 mins of German here, 5 minutes there, maybe later I have a video on in the background and passively try to identify words or phrases. Same feel re: my way isn't the right way, but having a timer interrupt my flow tends to be way more of a disadvantage than study strategy edit: it takes me probably 10 - 15 minutes to get into a good state of work with coding, mostly due to having to figure out where I left off (notes help with this but I still have to parse through some code)

I have written several novels using the Pomodoro technique. I'd say it works pretty well.

I use the pomodoro technique, but only occasionally when I'm either overwhelmed with many things I need to make progress on or am having problems getting motivated to start things. It seems to help me in those situations but I might use it 1-2 days per month.

I find that when I talk to people about this method they usually say that they ignore the timer and keep going if they’re in a flow state. But they stop if the timer goes off and they’re not in a flow state. … Which always confused me personally because what is the point of following this method if you’re not going to actually follow the basic rules of it? Absolutely bizarre.

pomodoro never really worked for me. i either hyperfocus or can’t do anything. for me, i try to work on something for 15 or so mins- at that point i’ll either be bored- at which point we start the process with a new activity- or get “chosen” to do the thing and get into a hyper focussed state. i always have 3-4 activities on the burner. i break these down further into smaller tasks and then just keep hopping from task to task. i find that this “parallel” workflow helps me get things done on time but i do have to carry around a small notebook to keep track of all of my activities and sub-activities- around the end of semester i have 20-30 sub-activities a day but these tend to be a part of 3-5 bigger activities. each sub-activity generally takes me 10-15 mins to complete so it fits in with an 8 hour day. this kinda approach let’s me keep swapping from activity to activity while still getting all the things is need to get done.

I've used Pomodoro for years and it works for me. Especially, if working from home.

I've used the pomodoro method for studying (not language study -- work-related stuff) when I am having trouble motivating myself. Set the timer, work through. When the buzzer goes off, take a break. Always take a break. Unlike some of the other commenters, I don't find the concept of "flow state" very useful. I get more work done. I've played around with the intervals. In Mexican Spanish, "jitomate" is often used instead of "tomate." Russian (like some other Slavic languages and Lithuanian) borrows the Italian word: помидор (pomidor).

Every generation has to innovate the wheel anew! 😁

I am diagnosed ADHD and timers dont work for me because then I'll just think about the timer while I'm supposed to work. Especially if it has an alarm because alarms startle me. I think the idea is fine for some people and some tasks, especially more daunting ones, by making it less of a commitment. But for me personally especially since I mostly study language by watching and reading media, I already look forward to doing it.

You didn't even give it a chance and started looking for evidence to support your inital point of view. And what a surprise that you found a few arguments. But you can just look at all the comments here coming from people who felt the beneficial effect of this method, myself included. It really helps a lot to get started and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of work/studying you've got to do. If I'm in the state of flow and don't want to interrupt my work, I won't do that. I usually just skip a break and add some extra time to the upcoming one. However most of the times taking small and frequent breaks contributes to your overall productivity and even physical health meaning that I can give some rest to my eyes off the computer and stretch for a few minutes.

It works for me.

The fact that I'm seeing the trademark symbol ® all over the place makes me suspicious as hell of this "technique". I think most people saying it works great for them think so because of cognitive bias. It's what they do, _"things are accomplished, so of course it works"_ without trying a bunch of other methods at the same level of use or dedication as they put into the "take a break" method. I refuse to use his trademark again. Side note, I did a google scholar search on it and didn't see anything serious supporting it. It's like you said, he's monetizing "taking breaks".

I'd say the main benefits of it are 1. fighting procrastination and 2. stopping burn out. I can get really into something and flow on it for 9 hours straight and have my conscious fighting me about whether I should work for another 10 minutes or go get a glass of water because I'm super thirsty. After a few days, I'm super burnt out on whatever I was doing and don't want to work on it any more. I also procrastinate everything I don't want to do and some things i do want to do. I don't think you really touched on either of these benefits and only focused on your perceived short term benefits of "not dying of exhaustion". Love your videos, cheers.

I've used Pomodoro before and in my opinion it only works well for you if it's the absolutely only way you'll actually sit down and do the work. I wasn't used to focusing for a long time and I had to do that for studying, so setting a timer for 25min and convincing myself that I only need to do the hard thing for that amount of time and then it's break time worked well. But as soon I trained my brain to focus longer and longer, the timer would only disrupt the concentration and do more harm than good. Now I usually study for an hour and 15min before I need to take brake and I will probably achieve longer time the more I "practice". I agree with all that you said, the "science" behind Pomodoro is bullshit (there is none) and it can make focusing harder because it breaks your concentration, but if it allows you to actually start and do the work, use it for as long as it's useful.

I find it incredibly humorous that you made an entire video on the so called "pomodoro technique" because of a buzzer in your Lo-Fi music. You must be quite passionate about Lo-Fi!

So basically, just when I'm starting to get into any kind of flow, the timer goes off, breaking my flow, then causing me to have to spend time to get back into a flow, only for it to be interrupted again right when I start finding it again? That sounds like it'll totally work 🤦‍♂️

I do pimsleur and it works but it is an endurance. One lesson a day is enough.

I kind of sit on the fence here. I see arguments both way. I agree with the video with regard to hobbies. And that includes my study of German. I might have sometimes problem starting, but when I start I don't need any motivation to keep going. I think this would also include you and most viewers here in their language studies. But with regard to "work" it might be different, and that would include anyone who studies a language because they have to, without really enjoying it. I don't think they ever get to flow, I never get to flow while doing the stuff have to do but don't like doing either. Pomodoro then works as motivator. Because blocks are so short it is always "Just couple minutes and you get that sweet break" and can do anything you want guiltless for five minutes. 25 minutes are short enough to just push trough something you dont like.

i never knew there was psuedoscience bs to it lol, i just use it because i liked following reading sprint streamers i think the timer is good because 25 minutes isnt too much and you can still do quite a bit depending on what it is, and then you get a break so that it's actually structured, instead of just trying to wing it when you're struggling to get started in the first place. some people just need to be told what to do to get started lol and that's fine