By Megan Hein & Ruth Ogunsanwo
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writers
The Problem
How do you deal with managing distractions and separating your school life from your personal life when working from home? If you’re a student and you’ve been taking online classes for the past year, you are likely struggling with these problems.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced college campuses to close last spring, virtual learning became the new normal for higher education. Remote learning can be overwhelming. Sometimes there’s no motivation to do the work. Some of the big challenges include sitting in one spot every day without change and trying to stay mentally healthy while constantly being indoors.
Mental health experts worry about the psychological toll on a younger generation that was already experiencing soaring rates of depression, anxiety and suicide before the pandemic.
Research shows that extended periods of loneliness can deteriorate mental and physical health outcomes over time, leading to depression, disorders and even chronic disease. A recent survey found that 80 percent of students have experienced some negative impact to their mental health due to the pandemic. Twenty percent say their mental health has significantly worsened.
Sarah, a 22-year-old student at County College of Morris in New Jersey, found herself struggling over the past year. After the switch to remote learning, even the simplest tasks and assignments became increasingly overwhelming to her.
“Because there was no was no set time for schoolwork, I just worried about it all the time,” said Sarah, who did not want her last name used in this story. “All I did was worry.”
Sarah said she became so stressed that she would avoid even thinking about approaching deadlines. That led her to turn in late and incomplete work, and she became even more stressed about school. When her grades began to slip, she searched for an approach that would make assignments less stressful and more manageable.
Solution
Sarah eventually came across the Pomodoro technique, a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into short intervals separated by short breaks. The ultimate goal for time management techniques is to create a balance in time and energy divided between tasks.
The standard time limits are 25 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break, repeating the process as you go.
During a typical session using this method, Sarah locks herself in a quiet room, “somewhere you don’t sleep,” puts on headphones to block out distractions and sets the timer on her phone.
The timer reduces distractions and incites a sense of urgency within the user by imitating the pressure of a deadline. Rather than feeling like you have an endless amount of time to get something done, you know you only have 25 minutes to make progress.
Instead of trying to complete a specific part of the assignment, she simply tries to do as much as she can in the allotted time.
When the timer goes off, she tries to leave her workspace for the entire five-minute break period, sometimes getting a snack or even going outside for some fresh air.
Although much of remote education is spent in long Zoom lectures, Sarah finds that it is easier to concentrate during these kinds of interactive activities. Therefore, she reserves the Pomodoro technique for more independent tasks, like writing papers.
“When you’re in school with other people, you feel a certain pressure to focus,” Sarah said. “With the Pomodoro method, you’re kind of like pressuring yourself.”
Insights
Sarah said she has learned that when implementing this technique, taking brief pauses allows the brain to refresh and direct her attention back to the task at hand.
“It gradually trains the mind to focus, resist interruptions and helps you to be more disciplined,” she said.
The technique is more about consistency than perfection. If you want to try out this technique, you simply need to block out your day into 25 minutes of work sessions. When you start each session, you start with a fresh start to reevaluate your goals, challenge yourself to focus and limit distractions. You can make the technique work for you by motivating yourself to build more on your success by adding an extra Pomodoro each day.
Sarah emphasized that the standard time increments are 25 minutes with five-minute breaks, and some might find that they work better with more or less time. However, overestimating yourself often leads to worse results.
While one may have hopeful intentions by starting with high time limits, it can be discouraging when they are unable to reach their target. Like with anything, setting your goals too high could mean setting yourself up for failure.
Evidence of effectiveness
An assignment can seem so daunting as a whole that you don’t even know where to start. Breaking it up into smaller bits can allow you to focus on one thing at a time and avoid mental blocks.
In an attempt to tackle her overdue history essay on the French Revolution, Sarah looked towards the Pomodoro Technique for guidance.
She sat down at her desk and set a timer on her phone for 25 minutes. She focused for the entire interval, trying to get as much done as she could. Once the timer was up, she took a five-minute break and repeated the process until the paper was complete.
When she finished writing the essay in less than 2 hours and ended up with an A, she knew this technique worked.
Limitations
Many students would likely agree that the transition to virtual learning hasn’t been easy. They have had to find ways to complete assignments without becoming too overwhelmed. The Pomodoro Technique can help students complete assignments in a timely manner. At its worst, there might be some trial and error but finding out what works best for you makes it easier.
At the beginning, this technique could prove to be stressful because of the ticking sound at the end of every session. But when you get used to it, it becomes a calming sound that symbolizes concentration.
In fact, when you’re completely focused, you might not even hear it.
All in all, if you use the technique efficiently, you should be able to maneuver your way out of procrastination and into productivity.