“Overcome Procrastination by Pomodoro”
Am I the only one who usually delay my tasks until the deadline appears? Oh wait, I guess someone is saying “me too”! And oops! There are many of them.
Yes. You are procrastinating. Procrastination is basically the act of delaying tasks, usually leaving them to the very last moment.
The most negative part of procrastination is that it leads to stress. Stress leads to anxiety and depressive behavior and that in turn, leads to decreased cognitive abilities. The good news is that you can still overcome procrastination by using POMODORO Technique. This technique was scientifically forwarded by Professor Barbara Oakley and it includes simplest 5 steps:
- Decide on the task to be done.
- Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).
- Work on the task.
- End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
- After four Pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.
I have recently been equipped with a lot of work to do but my gratification monkey that is procrastination does not let me do anything and tells me to rest and relax. My panic monster usually wakes up but this time, as everything is scheduled online, I decided to not get preyed by the monkey. Not Again!
I decided to complete at least 3 lectures of a subject in 2 hours. I set the timer and put my phone on airplane mode as cellphone is the major distraction during my studies. I completed almost half of the first lecture within 25 minutes. I got up and had some chips and water. I thought of checking up my phone but I resisted myself by thinking that I would be rewarded with free time at night if I complete this task now.
After writing and understanding things for 2 hours, with four timers, I finally stretched a bit and relaxed on my table. I was astonished to observe that I had completed the task which I assigned to myself in 2 hours. Usually, when I start studying, a notification pops up and I end up spending a lot of time wasting and scrolling.
This experiment was a little bit difficult for me as I was resisting myself from picking up my cellphone. But overall, it was a wonderful experience and it helped me accomplish my task in given time.
I will definitely apply this technique again in future for completing my tasks as it helped me a lot. If we learn to manage our time simply by using and applying Pomodoro technique, we will be able to overcome procrastination in a short interval. :)
