‘Tomato’ Keeps Employees Productive and/or Hungry

These days life can become pretty distracting, especially with all the text messages, e-mails, and social media posts that happen to cross our computers or phones in any given minute. Of course, you could always wait to “like” your friend’s status until after you’ve finished the expense report, but work can wait, right?! It’s no wonder that the 2 least productive days are Thursdays and Fridays; everyone is too focused on the weekend to focus on their work. Time management can be a difficult thing to master, especially with our busy lives. However, investing in a tiny red tomato can improve your workflow and decrease your procrastination habits.

But this isn’t any ordinary tomato…it’s a Pomodoro tomato. The Pomodoro tomato isn’t even a tomato—it’s a tomato-shaped timer. This timer is used in the Pomodoro technique, a time management strategy that is being used by at least 2 million people—according to the Pomodoro website. So what’s so special about this technique?

Apparently, by setting the timer for 25 minutes and working until the timer goes off, you can increase your productivity by staying focused on one task. For 25 minutes, all you’re allowed to do is work on one particular thing and ignore everything else. After the timer goes off, you have a 5-minute break to check your Facebook, post a tweet, get some coffee, or run around your office. After doing 4 Pomodoros (25-minute intervals) you can take an even longer break, but nothing longer than 30 minutes.

The technique also suggests making a list of things that pop into your head and cause a distraction, for example remembering you need to have your oil changed. Write down the thought and once the timer goes off you can call your mechanic to schedule the appointment. The Pomodoro technique is designed to help you get through long, daunting tasks and eliminate that burnt out feeling you often get. So remember that … Oh, look, a butterfly!