The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity hack where you set a timer for 25 minutes and then start a task and only work on that single task for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes are up, you stop what you’re doing, take a 5-minute break, then start another 25-minute session. After 4 sessions, you take a longer break.
Telling yourself you only need to work on a task for 25 minutes is a great way to get started. We often overcomplicate things in our mind and delay getting started.
There are some downsides to the Pomodoro Technique. One is that you’re interrupted every 25 minutes. It may take you 20 minutes to get focused on the task, and then you’re interrupted by your timer. Should you take the break regardless? You could, but your break should be to step away, stretch, look out a window, grab some water, all the while you’re still thinking about your task. When you’re back to the task, you should (hopefully) be able to jump right back into it.
You can create your own variations of the Pomodoro Technique. Try 55 minutes of work, 10-minute break. See what works for you.