When we're in lockdown, it's too easy to sit all day at our (probably not ergonomic) WFH desk. This is a sure-fire technique to get aches and pains but more than that, to lead to feelings of stress, anxiety or feeling down. Movement is central not only to our physical wellbeing, but also our mental wellbeing.
The Pomodoro technique* is not new, you're probably familiar with it. So this is a reminder of a hugely effective way to travel well through lockdown but also be productive at the same time - boom!
The Pomodoro technique helps us work with the time we have, rather than constantly fighting against it or wishing we had more. Essentially, you set yourself an interval timer - 25-minutes work, followed by a 5-minute break. Each of these intervals is called a Pomodoro. In your break, make sure you get up, walk around the house, walk around the whenua, get some sunlight in your eyes. You're still being productive - your step count goes up, your vitamin D goes up, you unhunch those shoulders and clear your mind before going again. Consider yourself an athlete - they don't run the whole match, they need the moments to recover their breath so they can sprint again. After four pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-20 minutes.
As someone who tends to get lost in their work, I thought this technique would never work for me, it would make my days too "bitsy". But on the days that I'm disciplined to do this, even for part of the day, I get more done (I've only got 25 minutes, I want to achieve something in that time), feel less tired and more positive at the end of the day.
Give it a go - what have you got to lose except some sore shoulders?
Let's be real, this isn't going to work in a day where you have back to back zoom calls - but, hang on, what are you doing letting other people own your diary like that? Oh, that's for another post...
*Francesco Cirillo developed this technique in the 1980s, using a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato - pomodoro in Italian.
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