As a freelancer, you have two limited resources – time and energy.
Time is obvious. There are only 24 hours in the day. No matter how much you have to get done, you only have 24 hours to work with. In fact, you may only have time for 8-14 hours of work each day.
Energy is a whole different beast. Energy levels vary from person to person. Even if you have 14 hours to work each day, you may not have 14 hours of energy to spend. You need to be aware of how much energy you can afford to put into your business on a daily basis. If you push yourself too far, you may experience burnout.
One way to manage your time and energy is to use the Pomodoro technique.
What is the Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. It’s a technique for improving focus and productivity.
The technique involves breaking your work into bite-sized segments referred to as pomodoros (the Italian word for tomatoes).
Each pomodoro is 25 minutes long. After the first three pomodoros, you get a five minute break. After you complete four, you get a 15 minute break. Four pomodoros is considered a set. Each set is about 2 hours and 10 minutes long, including breaks. If you worked for eight hours, you could complete approximately 16 pomodoros.
The technique looks like this:
- Work for 25 minutes
- Take a 5 minute break
- Work for 25 minutes
- Take a 5 minute break
- Work for 25 minutes
- Take a 5 minute break
- Work for 25 minutes
- Take a 15 minute break*
*This break can be as long as you need it to be, but 15-30 minutes is recommended.
Why it works
Your brain doesn’t like working without breaks. The average person can only focus for about 20 minutes at a time. If you get into a flow state you may be able to focus for longer, but 20 minutes is typically when the mind starts to wander and concentration is broken.
A pomodoro is the perfect length of time to complete a chunk of work. You are able to focus for the entire segment and when your focus starts to wane, it’s time for a break. As an added bonus, each time you complete a pomodoro you get a burst of energy from accomplishing a mini goal.
I love using this technique because it makes large projects manageable. When I have an overwhelming task, I break it into pomodoros. Often, I find that I’ve overestimated how long something will take me and a task I assumed would take five pomodoros, only takes two. It’s amazing how much you can get done in a focused work session! 
Including breaks in your workday is crucial to avoid burnout. Once you hit four pomodoros, you get an extended break. You can do whatever you want during this break. If possible, I recommend doing something offline. I have found that the break flies by if I check Facebook or start reading blogs. The break is more satisfying if I get something to drink, walk around a bit, read a few pages in a book, straighten up my work area, or do some jumping jacks.
Benefits of the Pomodoro technique
Using the technique is especially beneficial for freelancers who can lack structure in their days. Here are some things I love about the technique.
Reduces procrastination
It’s easy to put off getting started on work. There are a million other things you can do. Even if you are sitting at your computer, you could check your social media accounts, read email, and go to your favorite websites. The Pomodoro technique builds breaks in. The time chunks are so manageable that you will trick yourself into getting to work. By the time you finish the first pomodoro, you should be invested in working and completing the task you’re doing.
Adds structure to your day
This technique can give you a bit of structure in an otherwise crazy day. If you set aside the morning to do two rounds of pomodoros (about 2 hours of work) before you check your email, you’ll find that you made great headway on a project or completed several tasks.
Helps manage your time
Most people are terrible at predicting how much time something is going to take. There are people who err on the side of caution and assume that everything is going to take 2-3x longer than it will. Then, there are people who consistently think they can get something done in half the time it really takes. After using the technique for a while, you’ll start thinking of your projects in 25 minute chunks and figuring out how many sets you’ll need to finish something.
Prevents burnout
Since the Pomodoro technique includes built in breaks, you aren’t stuck behind your computer for long stretches of time. The breaks give you a natural stopping point to go grab a snack, walk around, send a text message to a friend, or read a few pages in a book. You’ll look forward to your next break, but not get completely sidetracked and end up watching YouTube videos for an hour in the middle of your workday. If you use your breaks wisely and completely disconnect from work during them, you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by your workday. This can help prevent feelings of burnout.
The Pomodoro technique is a popular tool for productivity because it works! To get started, all you need is a watch or a clock, but if you want to use some tech, check out the Marinara Timer. This site tracks your pomodoros and breaks. It will alert you when it’s time to work and when it’s time to stop. I’ve found both this site and the technique extremely helpful especially when I’m having a low motivation day. If you’re a freelancer or work from home, give the technique a try and watch your productivity increase.
Leave a Reply