Day 120 of writing every day.
Have you heard of the Pomodoro Method? It’s a time management method that breaks time into set segments of activity and breaks. This is said to optimize concentration and prevent mental fatigue or something along those lines. Examples of 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off are frequently seen after a quick search but variations on time length vary.
Studying is challenging for many, and sometimes it’s not the subject being learned that’s the problem, but rather the ability to stay focused and on task. This issue affects people of all ages, to my knowledge, and being able to focus can make the difference between successful learning outcomes and never quite getting there.
There are so many distractions with technology (I think I’ve talked about this before many, many posts before). I too, find myself easily distracted at home when studying, but when I’m out and about, I tend to be a lot more focused and able to study. But to really address the issue, a lot of questions need to be asked.
Am I able to study better outside my room because there are less distractions? What if it’s because when I’m outside, it’s because I view studying as a task I’ve planned out and paid money for a seat at a cafe for? At home I could be trying to study but maybe it’s not being treated as a task and given the same level of importance as when I’m outside.
I’ve worked from home before and the available distractions didn’t keep me from doing work for eight hours a day. It’s not necessarily a work/learning environment issue that’s behind learning at home being difficult. Perhaps there’s a punishment/reward system that counteracts the effects of distractions?
For example, employers could have spyware to check if employees are really doing work. That’s a drastic one used by paranoid management but it’s happened to people before. Or maybe it’s the need to get work done to get paid.
Studying doesn’t have any immediate promised or guaranteed rewards like a pay check unless there’s someone paying you to get good grades or something along those lines. If it’s not learning for the sake of a hobby that often has motivators to sustain studying for the sake of knowledge, then it’s usually for skills that make open opportunities, to get new jobs.
Returning to the subject of Pomodoro Method, I first heard of it a few years back. It was for some kind of “learning how to learn” type of free online class. I recall trying it out briefly too when I recalled it while working from home to see if it helps improve productivity or has some beneficial effects.
I’m not one to be chair bound all the time unless it comes to gaming and the game isn’t one so awful I have to force myself to play it. Games, movies, and other forms of media are things that seem to draw human attention by design and I don’t think it requires any need to focus to keep our eyes glued to the screen.
However, a higher level of focus might allow us to see and perceive things about media that we might not when at a lower level of focus. Giving yourself intermittent breaks can really change how you see things, and if you fear having breaks will break your concentration, then perhaps all you’re focused on really is just getting something done. You’re focusing on the destination and not the journey.
When I’m recording gameplay I have to stick to the schedule as this isn’t TikTok where there’s a pause button for record function, and you’re able to resume right on the same time frame to make it look like an instant transition. But when I’m not recording, hitting pause and taking intermittent breaks might actually be a good idea and healthier too.
If anything I need to work my ability to keep my eyes glued to the screen when I’m trying to read and study at home. Perhaps the Pomodoro Method will come in handy not as a way to make sure I take breaks, but as a way to keep me on task until the timer says it’s okay to go get distracted. I’ll have to give it serious thought and actually follow the rules of the method before I can properly declare it works for me or not.
Thanks for reading!
One Chance Works 