The Pomodoro Technique is a great time management method that improves our productivity at work. This technique has helped many work faster, improve efficiency, and keep their work-life balance. The main focus of this technique is to boost productivity on large tasks that require creative mental energy, but it can be used to help power through any type of task.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo based on a tomato-shaped kitchen timer he had(hence the name: pomodoro is Italian for tomato). The method dictates you divide your time into short increments of 25 minutes for work, taking a 5-minute break at the end of each 25-minute session. Each 25-minute period is called a "pomodoro," and after four consecutive pomodoros, you take a longer 15- or 30-minute break.

The steps involved in the Pomodoro  Technique

1. Prepare your task list for the day.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes (one pomodoro).
3. Start working.
4. After a pomodoro, take a five-minute break.
5. Get back to work. Repeat this process four times. ( Work done: 4x25 = 100 minutes; Break time: 3x5 = 15 minutes)
6. After 4 pomodoros, take a 30-minute break.

Let's look at my own workday as an example. If I start work at 8 AM and break at 1 PM for lunch, I am able to complete eight pomodoros before then. Then, if I work from 2 PM until 5 PM, I can do six pomodoros after lunch. This means that in total, I work for approximately 350 minutes every day (close to six hours). With the Pomodoro Technique, I can now complete the same amount of work I usually deliver in a 10- to 12-hour time frame in approximately  six hours. Proper implementation of the Pomodoro Technique helps reduce idle time and procrastination and improves efficiency.

Zoho Cliq + Pomodoro Technique 

Reminders are a necessity in our hyper-connected work environments, where keeping track of your own schedule and to-do list, as well as keeping track of the tasks assigned to others, can be complicated. Cliq's Reminders feature can make the Pomodoro Technique even easier and more practical.

All you have to do is schedule reminders for the pomodoros you've planned for the day. Remember to include your five-minute breaks and the longer breaks every four sessions while setting your reminders. Read our knowledge base page to learn how to set reminders in Cliq.

Before setting your pomodoro reminders, plan your tasks with a checklist in Zoho Sheets or Zoho Notebook (or use any task management tool) and use Cliq's bots to send you notifications regarding your work.

As many of us know, working from home comes with unique challenges and opportunities too. You might have to run errands or do laundry, but with the Pomodoro Technique, you can work those tasks into your day without interrupting your work flow .

If you can do 12 pomodoros in a day, you will have nine short breaks and two long breaks. Use the short breaks to grab a snack or switch over your laundry, while one of the long breaks could be your lunch break and the other can be used for exercise or to run errands.

The enhanced pomodoro 

Once you are comfortable working using the Pomodoro Technique, you can up your game with an enhanced version, which is best suited for working with Cliq. We call it the TIP, as an acronym for "Team work, Individual work, and Planning." Group your work items into three different categories and divide them into different pomodoros. Here's an example of what that could look like:

1. Team work

Allocate two or three pomodoros for team work where you can collaborate with your peers and team members.You can use this time to set up meetings, talk over audio or a video call, and review work with your colleagues using the screen share option. When the entire team is in synch, meetings become shorter and more productive and discussions can be focused.

 2. Individual work 

Allocate five or six pomodoros for work items that require your individual attention. These are the focus times. Make sure to schedule these pomodoros during your peak mental processing time, whether in the morning or late afternoon. This helps you stay focused and not lose momentum, so you can finish all your work items during this time.

 3. Planning  

Always end the day with a planning pomodoro. This is the time to check off items from your to-do list and measure the work you completed that day, as well as plan for the next day. Schedule your meetings and reminders for the next day during this time. You can either use the age-old method of using a personal planner to check off your completed work items, or you can use the Cliq+ Notebook integration to quickly jot down and then check off your work items. You can also add important tasks for the next day as notifications using Cliq's bot feature.

We have discussed in detail on how to make best use of cliq and implement it in your work through the pomodoro technique. But what do you do during all the short breaks?

Some activities you can do during short breaks:   

1. Read the daily news using Cliq's Feeds Arena .
2. Check your social media channels and post an update.
3. Get up and drink a glass of water.
4. Walk around your work space and do some stretches to improve circulation.
5. Listen to your favorite playlist.
6. Do breathing or meditation exercise.
7. Make yourself a drink or a quick snack to have while you work.
8. Organize and declutter your workspace.
9. Water the plants.
10. Do some quick exercises. For example, you can practice holding a plank for as long as possible each day until you can do it for the entire short break.

Long meetings and long calls add to work fatigue and burnout, especially when we're working from home and away from the rest of our team. Using the Pomodoro Techniques like this can help improve your productivity, increase your energy during the workday, and even help your team shorten meeting times and collaborate more efficiently. Try it out with Cliq's Reminders and let us know what you think in the comments!

 Bonus: This blog post was written in 3 pomodoro sessions. The images used in the blog was designed in 3 pomodoros.