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Key Takeaways:
- The Pomodoro technique uses time blocking techniques to improve productivity, keep individuals motivated, and help them avoid burnout.
- Some challenges people with ADHD must overcome when implementing the Pomodoro technique are rigidity, interruptions, and difficulties planning.
- You can customize the Pomodoro technique to your liking by being flexible with interval times, creating a sustainable working environment, and asking others to hold you accountable for your tasks.
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Becoming overwhelmed with tasks can make it challenging to manage your time wisely—even more so for someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). How do you get back on track if you're flustered and unfocused? Perhaps the answer is the Pomodoro technique for ADHD.
This simple time management technique helps break your day into manageable blocks, and you can easily adjust it to your work style.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro technique is a six-step method for creating focused time, similar to time blocking. Francesco Cirillo developed it in the 1980s, implementing a kitchen timer to break work and tasks into 25-minute intervals. Here are the six steps of the original technique:
- Create a to-do list of tasks you need to complete for the day. Then, choose the most time-sensitive task.
- Set your Pomodoro timer for 25 minutes.
- Start working on the task.
- Complete the task once the timer goes off and take a break between five and ten minutes.
- Go back to step two and repeat four Pomodoros.
- After four Pomodoros, take a longer break—typically between 20 and 30 minutes. Then, repeat step two until you’ve completed your daily tasks.
Related Handout: The Pomodoro Technique Handout
How Can the Pomodoro Technique Help with ADHD?
The Pomodoro technique is helpful for individuals with ADHD as it teaches them to maintain focus and resist impulses [*]. It is especially advantageous to individuals with an inattentive form of ADHD, which is a more common form of ADHD in girls, as it can help them stay on task and manage their productivity well.
Below are other ways the Pomodoro technique can improve ADHD symptoms:
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Enhanced motivation. People with ADHD experience dopamine deficiencies, which can hinder their progress [*]. The Pomodoro technique can encourage individuals to achieve short-term goals that feel easier to accomplish, keeping their motivation high.
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Lesser burnout. When people with ADHD exert too much mental energy, they become burned out or experience mental paralysis. Through short breaks, the Pomodoro technique can help them reset their focus. One longer break per four Pomodoros can provide actual rest and relief.
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Accountability. Pomodoros create measurable goals that can provide people with ADHD a much-needed dopamine release. Tracking these goals can minimize impulses and procrastination while keeping people accountable for their self-regulation skills.
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Time awareness. People with ADHD often experience time blindness or time agnosia, which is the inability to acknowledge the passing of time [*]. The Pomodoro technique can facilitate better scheduling by providing opportunities for structured work.
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Starting tasks. Some people with ADHD struggle with ADHD paralysis or the inability to start a task for fear of not completing it. The Pomodoro technique helps curb this avoidance by reminding individuals that they can take a break between tasks, encouraging them to get things done.
Common Challenges of Using the Pomodoro Technique for ADHD
While the Pomodoro technique for ADHD is helpful, it isn’t perfect. Someone with ADHD may get distracted, forget to reset the timer, or lose motivation. If you have ADHD and want to implement the Pomodoro technique as part of your daily routine, consider these potential challenges.
Interruptions
The Pomodoro technique relies on an individual’s ability to stay focused for 25 minutes per interval. Keeping your attention on the task can be challenging in social settings, such as in an office, school, or any environment with people.
What you can do: Be proactive about your Pomodoros by telling colleagues and peers about your focused period. Alternatively, if you experience a brief interruption, do your best to return to the task with minimal disruption.
Rigidity
Some people may find the Pomodoro technique too rigid or structured, especially when they get in the zone for longer than 25 minutes. If you are on a roll once the timer goes off, taking a break and resetting it may feel counterproductive.
What you can do: Embrace flexibility. Extend your 25-minute interval to complete a thought or sentence.
Uneven tasks
Some tasks take longer than 25 minutes to complete, whereas some may take less. Thus, it can be challenging to manage large projects and small to-dos.
What you can do: If you have multiple smaller tasks, group a few into one Pomodoro. If you’re dealing with a more complex task, break it down into steps or manageable chunks that will fit into several Pomodoros. Planning tasks can help you overcome choice paralysis.
Quantity vs. Quality
While counting the number of tasks you’ve completed can feel fulfilling, focusing on quantity over quality can become problematic. Remember, the goal is to make meaningful progress—not to get things done as quickly as possible.
What you can do: Don’t just mindlessly tick off tasks you’ve completed—track the progress you’ve made with each one. Are you one step closer to concluding a paper? Have you solved a specific problem?
How to Adapt the Pomodoro Technique for ADHD
While the challenges listed can be difficult to overcome, they aren’t impossible. Below are a few tips for adapting the Pomodoro technique for ADHD.
Start slowly
Mastering the Pomodoro technique takes trial and error. Don’t overwhelm yourself by biting off more than you can chew. Start gradually, starting with a few Pomodoros per task and increasing or decreasing the frequency of Pomodoros according to your work flow.
Create a sustainable working environment
People with ADHD are more easily distracted by external factors than others. Put yourself in a position to succeed by putting distractions away. If you’re using your phone to set alarms, set it to Do Not Disturb mode to avoid checking notifications and messages.
Don’t give in to temptations
Especially if you’re a teenager with ADHD or a young boy with ADHD, giving in to temptations like using your phone or watching a YouTube video isn’t uncommon. If you find yourself justifying delays and procrastination, note these distractions as a way to help self-correct.
Plan ahead
While you don’t want to over-plan your Pomodoro schedule, a little planning can go a long way. Prioritize tasks and estimate how many Pomodoros you’ll need to complete them. However, allow for some flexibility. For instance, you may require longer Pomodoro intervals or attend to a different, more urgent task.
Once the work day is over, reflect on your Pomodoro schedule, noting what worked and what didn’t.
Take meaningful breaks
When taking a break, it can be tempting to do something mindless like scrolling through social media on your phone. Don’t spend time on things that consume energy. Instead, do something quick and meaningful, like a short walk outside, a few jumping jacks, meditation, or a power nap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I get distracted during a Pomodoro session?
If you get distracted during a Pomodoro session, note them, but don’t give in to them. If you are too distracted, step away for a few seconds to re-center yourself through meditation or breathing exercises, then start over with a new 25-minute session.
Can I adjust the length of the work and break periods?
You can customize your Pomodoro sessions to suit your needs and work ethic. For instance, you might prefer short bursts for challenging tasks to improve your intensity and focus or assign longer focus periods for deep work.
Especially when using the Pomodoro technique for ADHD in children, it’s imperative to adjust the intervals according to their capabilities. Children can practice with five or ten-minute intervals instead of 25.
The Bottom Line
Instead of powering through and getting burned out, the Pomodoro technique offers a more effective and sustainable way to overcome the hardships of ADHD.
Supplement your Pomodoro routine with more ADHD worksheets to become more productive in healthy ways.
Sources:
- Ptacek R, Weissenberger S, Braaten E, et al. “Clinical Implications of the Perception of Time in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Review.” Medical Science Monitor, 2019.
- Laurance Jerrold. “Time blindness.” American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 2024.
- Wu J, Xiao H, Sun H, Zou L, Zhu LQ. “Role of Dopamine Receptors in ADHD: A Systematic Meta-analysis.” Molecular Neurobiology, 2012.
