is there science behind using 25 minute intervals for getting work done? (pomodoro technique)

[nelsonic]

http://lifehacker.com/productivity-101-a-primer-to-the-pomodoro-technique-1598992730

[iteles]

A lot of apps let you set your 'pomodoro' to whatever you want it to be. I've always been given the impression that it's the set a task -> work on it uninterrupted -> take a short break -> repeat cycle that is the important part.

The book says that 'experiments show' that 25 minutes is a good amount of time, but this has always been an indicative number to build on rather than a hard and fast rule. I plan to build this up into longer increments personally.

http://productivity.stackexchange.com/questions/4422/scientific-studies-on-the-default-duration-of-a-pomodoro

[nelsonic]

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/the-pomodoro-technique-is-it-right-for-you.html

[sohilpandya]

For me personally, the Pomodoro cycle mean a couple of things.

1. Giving your brain a rest
   • if you've been concentrating heavily on something, you need that 5/10 minutes off to think about nothing(let your mind rest).
2. Rewarding yourself
   • sometimes you've been working hard and having a reward (look at your phone/facebook) is another way to keep the motivation flowing and keeps the person really productive.

Again, these are just my opinions, would love to hear more about this. 😄

[Cleop]

From the lifehack article on the reason why to do it:

Frequent breaks keep your mind fresh and focused.

If you have a large and varied to-do list, using the Pomodoro Technique can help you crank through projects faster by forcing you to adhere to strict timing.

Watching the timer wind down can spur you to wrap up your current task more quickly, and spreading a task over two or three pomodoros can keep you from getting frustrated.

The constant timing of your activities makes you more accountable for your tasks and minimizes the time you spend procrastinating.

The lifehacker article also suggests that by working in pomodoro you can put off distractions e.g. ask a colleague to come back to you once your pomodoro has ended to ask you a question so your focus is not broken and you can minimise context switching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-z5kmVhzU

So in summary:

• Taking breaks to aid concentration throughout the day or on bigger tasks (see note below on the benefit of taking breaks)
• Motivating you to stay concentrated in the 'work' periods by time boxing procrastination into 'break' periods. Train your brain into being rewarded for concentration by giving it a break at the end.
• Motivating/ encouraging you to stick to strict timing (ie Parkinson's Law)
• Timing making you more accountable for tasks
• Monotasking: Reducing distractions by delaying them to the end of a pomodoro to reduce context switching. On the demands of multitasking on the brain E.g. Texting whilst driving is equivalent of the drinking 4 beers before driving in terms of how much it diminishes your concentration.

The benefit of taking breaks: https://lifehacker.com/take-more-breaks-get-more-done-5919897

Mental concentration is similar to a muscle, says John P. Trougakos, an assistant management professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management. It becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest period before it can recover, he explains - much as a weight lifter needs rest before doing a second round of repetitions at the gym.