00:00The Pomodoro method has revolutionized the way I study, but when I first started using it, I wasn't using it correctly
00:04I would often lose focus, get burnt out, or just not study well
00:08I realized that there are certain ways you can actually make the Pomodoro method better
00:16There are ways to upgrade the Pomodoro method, and that's exactly what this video is about—upgrading the Pomodoro method
00:24[Music] So, what is the Pomodoro method? If you don't know the Pomodoro method, I'm going to go over it in this video, and I'm going to say "Pomodoro method" about a million times
00:32So, let's start a Pomodoro counter right around here
00:34But okay, so it is this method invented in the 1980s by a guy named Francesco Cirillo
00:39Francesco Cerrillo, Cerrillo, I definitely said that wrong, and it breaks up studying into study break increments
00:47The most common way people use this method is to study for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break; that is one Pomodoro session
00:53Then you repeat that four times, except the fourth time, when you take a longer break of 20 to 30 minutes
01:00People across the world, including myself, have loved this method because it allows you to focus for a certain amount of time and then take a break for a certain amount of time
01:08So, let's get into the ways to upgrade this method
01:13[Music] Before the greatest study session of all time begins, you need to know what you are actually going to be studying
01:19For me, it's pretty straightforward—I just study
01:22Some flashcards and do some practice questions, and that's what I'm doing right now, but I do have a certain number of flashcards I need to get done every day, and I also have a certain number of questions I need to complete each day
01:30So, I plan to do about 200 flashcards and then 40 practice questions
01:36That's my usual day right now
01:38However, this can get more complicated depending on the task
01:40For example, if you need to write an essay, you might need to break it down into different stages
01:43For example, you might say, okay, first I'm going to outline what this essay is going to be about, then I'm going to complete a rough draft of the first two sections of my essay, and then I'm going to finish the rest of the essay
01:57It's important that I have these specific things laid out before I actually start my Pomodoro session
02:01A key point I want to reiterate throughout this entire video is that we're trying to stay focused during our Pomodoro sessions, no matter what, because when we start to lose focus, it defeats the entire purpose of this method
02:14So, what if I finish my first task during my Pomodoro timer? For example, 12 minutes into my first 25-minute Pomodoro session, I finish the video
02:21Do I just cut it short and take a break? No, it's still the Pomodoro session; you're still focusing
02:28So, I would just move straight on to the next task, and I already know what that is because I planned out what I’m going to study
02:34So, I just go straight into doing some flashcards until the end of this first Pomodoro session
02:38Another good way to think about planning is to have goals for the number of Pomodoro sessions you want to do during that day or whatever amount of time you want to study for that day
02:46 When I was studying for my big exams in the past, I used the 25/5 Pomodoro session method, and so I aimed for about 12 to 16 sessions during the day, which equates to about five to seven hours of actual focused studying a day, across seven to ten hours of work time
03:01 So, for this first tip, try to answer these questions: What will I be studying today? What is the order of things I will be studying today? What is my goal number of Pomodoro sessions I want to complete today? Or, what is the total time I want to study today? Tip number two is to only use the Pomodoro method during work time
03:22Figure out what hours you'll be studying
03:24For me, when I wasn't doing clinical rotations and I was just in study mode, I would usually study from 7 to 11:30, and then I would study from 12:30 to 4:30
03:30And if I was doing a heavy study day, I might also study from 5:30 to 8:30
03:34Importantly, I'm only applying the Pomodoro method during these work sessions
03:38Everyone should get oriented and organized in the morning; I like to eat breakfast as well
03:45Everyone should get a larger break around midday, and if you didn't eat breakfast or lunch, you should probably eat dinner
03:51You should also go to bed at a reasonable time
03:52I know
03:53These are crazy ideas
03:54Everyone should prioritize mental and physical health over a little extra studying
03:58Trust me, your performance will thank you
04:00I feel like people sometimes go too crazy over the Pomodoro method
04:04They say, "Okay, I'm going to plan it out so that during my fourth session, when I have my 30-minute break, I'll go for a quick run, but I'll come back in time to shower, get changed, and get back to my Pomodoro." No, no, no
04:16Just use the Pomodoro method during work sessions
04:18It's okay to take a one- or two-hour break to go to the gym or have lunch
04:22These are normal human things
04:24Don't kill yourself over it
04:27But when you're in a Pomodoro session, you should stay focused
04:30Trust me, if you are using the Pomodoro method correctly, you will have..
04:34More than enough focus time during the day
04:35[Music] Tip number three is to personalize the timing of your Pomodoro sessions
04:41The timing doesn't have to be 25 minutes and a five-minute break
04:45I don't know why that's become the cult of timing
04:47Any time between the 20 and 60-minute mark for your focus sessions is fine
04:51You need to figure out what timing works best for you
04:54Nothing someone on the internet tells you will be perfect for you; you have to figure it out for yourself
04:57Many people I know, for example, prefer to do 50 minutes of study and then a 10-minute break
05:03So, experiment for one day—try doing the 25-5 Pomodoro sessions
05:05Then, the next day, maybe try 35 minutes with a seven-minute break
05:10Then the next day, try..
05:12Maybe doing 50 minutes with a 10-minute break is an experiment, you know
05:16The only rule to stick to is that for around every 25 minutes of studying, you should take a 5-minute break, and after about 100 minutes of cumulative studying, you should take a 20 to 30-minute break
05:25So, if we talk about those three different strategies I mentioned before, it would go something like this: 25 minutes of studying, 5-minute break, 25 minutes of studying, 5-minute break, 25 minutes of studying, then you take a 20 to 30-minute break
05:37That's interval time or session strategy number one
05:41Then, if you use the 35-7 breakdown, you might do 35 minutes of studying, 7-minute break, 35 minutes of studying
05:497-minute break, 35 minutes of studying, 20 to 30-minute break
05:51Then, if you use the 50-10 breakdown, you might do 50 minutes of studying, a 10-minute break, and then 50 minutes of studying, followed by a 20 to 30-minute break
05:59Notice how these all kind of equate to the same study and break time, and that's purposeful
06:04The next tip is, if you feel like you're in a flow state, don't stop studying
06:10Flow is where the task is in this perfect state, where it's difficult but not too difficult, and you're enjoying yourself
06:15So you're just killing it, you're crushing it
06:19If you've experienced a flow state before, you know exactly what it is
06:22When I'm in a flow state, I lose track of time, I forget to eat, I forget to reposition my body in any way
06:26I'm just..
06:28Focused completely on the task in front of me
06:30Occasionally, I enter this flow state, whether I'm aggressively cleaning my apartment, filming these YouTube videos, or studying
06:35Flow states are golden states; I try to stay in them no matter what and aim to find them in my life as much as I can
06:42When you're in a flow state, evidence shows that your performance is actually better
06:46This is why, if during a Pomodoro session I feel like I'm in a flow state, I'll keep going
06:51So, if I know I'm nearing the end of that 25-minute timer, what I'll do is, as soon as the 25-minute timer is up, I'll restart another 25-minute timer right away
06:59This way, I’m still studying only during my Pomodoro study times, but I’m maintaining my flow state
07:04I've skipped that first break
07:09I'll add that break onto my next break, so after I studied 15 minutes straight, I'll take a 10-minute break before going into my next 25-minute session
07:14If you're in the flow state, stay in it, and you can adjust the Pomodoro method around this flow state
07:20I think a lot of times we see these rules and things on the internet, and we think we have to stick to them, but if you understand the reason behind these rules, you can break them
07:28The next tip is kind of a silly tip, but use a physical timer
07:34Why do people write in notebooks? Computers have eliminated pretty much all the need for us to write in notebooks anymore, yet people still handwrite in notebooks
07:39People still buy regular paperback books
07:41Why is that? Well, I don't really know
07:47I don't think many people really know, but there's some indescribable benefit from these physical things
07:49And guess what, I got that same indescribable benefit from a physical Pomodoro timer
07:53Again, I really have no evidence for this other than my anecdotal experience with this physical timer
07:59It's just great having this one in front of me; it makes me feel like the session is more real
08:04I don't know, when I have a timer on my computer or on my phone or something like that, it's just not as cool
08:09It's not really cool, but it's not as imposing as having this real red timer in front of me that says, "Listen, you have 10 minutes to go, don't break it," because this real thing is there — big brother is watching
08:13Watching
08:18Importantly, also, this removes another potential for distraction
08:23If you have the timer on your computer or your phone, you might be more likely to look at that and then get distracted or pulled into something else
08:28Even if the only thing you do is make studying nicer, it's a small price to pay for making studying more enjoyable, especially when you're studying maybe five to ten hours a day
08:37The next tip is to remove all possible distractions; eliminate the possibility of being distracted during your Pomodoro sessions
08:46Please remove all unnecessary items from your desk, all books that you're not using, all notes that you're not going to be using, your phone—especially all snacks—everything
08:52Get it out of there
08:54My phone is always on
08:56Silent in another room
08:58Next, if you are working on your computer, remove distractions from your computer
09:02But how do you do this? Now, I get crazy here, and I actually have a computer that's dedicated to just studying
09:07I only do studying on that computer
09:10I haven't logged into my Apple ID, so I don't have my messages, I don't have my Gmail, I don't have any of those things on that computer
09:15That computer's only for studying—flashcards, doing practice questions, reading academic journals, or reading up on patients' histories
09:21One great app you can use is called SelfControl, and this will actually eliminate your ability to access certain internet websites
09:28The next tip, and this is my most important tip of the entire video on how to get..
09:35The most benefit from the Pomodoro method comes from using classical conditioning
09:39You are not allowed to not focus during your Pomodoro session
09:44You're not allowed to not focus; in fact, all the other things I’m talking about in this video are all related to this idea of not losing focus during our Pomodoro sessions
09:51My separate computer, which I have just for studying, is for studying—it's classically conditioning me to only study on that computer
10:00When I’m using that computer, I know I am only studying with it; it’s my dedicated studying computer
10:03If you don’t know what classical conditioning means, it means you associate one stimulus with another stimulus
10:08One is a stimulus; it could be anything — it could be the sound, it could be a flash of a..
10:13The light is really anything that your body picks up, so if, for example, every time I said your name I hit you with a stick, eventually you would begin to associate me saying your name with being hit with a stick
10:21Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you with a stick
10:23So every time I say your name, you would think, "Oh my God, I'm going to get hit with a stick," and eventually, just me saying your name would cause you to flinch or freak out because you're used to being hit with a stick
10:34This is how my special study computer works
10:36This is how the Pomodoro method works
10:38My study computer works because when I am using this computer, I am only studying, so I am signaled almost unconsciously that when I open this computer, it's study time
10:47When you're in your Pomodoro session..
10:49Sessions you're signaled unconsciously if you do it enough, that this is study time again
10:53This is the most vital tip of this entire video: if it is study time, if you are in a Pomodoro session, you must stay focused
10:59Oh, and this applies to your breaks too
11:01When it's break time, go take a break; don't study during your break time because that would mess things up
11:06Again, if you're going to study through your break time, make it another Pomodoro session, that way you're extending your flow and not messing with classical conditioning
11:13[Music] Okay, three more tips here, and the third to last tip is music
11:18Use it correctly for you
11:24Music is a tough topic around studying; there's no strong answer, there's no definitive decision whether music helps or In fact, it seems to show more often that music harms studying
11:29In some studies, it's detrimental; in others, it's beneficial
11:32It’s kind of flip-floppy
11:34It seems that quiet music with no lyrics might be beneficial for focusing on easy tasks, but it also appears that all music is detrimental when focusing on a harder task
11:45The most recent scholarly article I saw from 2021 reviewed the current evidence and conducted a couple of experiments of its own
11:53It found that instrumental and calm music have the least detrimental effect on cognitive performance, but all music can negatively impact cognitive performance
12:00Background music can improve focus and attention when performing tasks
12:06Easier tasks and, the more difficult the task, the less intrusive the music
12:09People tend to listen to music while studying; for example, if the material is very challenging, most people don't put on music
12:17So, here's the strategy I use for when I'm listening to music and studying, and again, there's no real significant evidence for this
12:23I just tried to use a little bit of the evidence and a little bit of personal experience and friends who are smart and do really well, and I kind of formatted my strategy
12:30So, at the beginning, when I first started studying or whenever I'm doing a really challenging task, I don't listen to music
12:35When I feel myself start to lose a little focus and not really pay attention to my studying, I add very..
12:43Non-intrusive music, so this is music that's often called ambient music or low-intensity classical music
12:50Then, when the lower-intensity music isn't cutting it anymore, I upped the intensity of the music to keep me more motivated and more focused
12:55I've actually hand-tailored a couple of playlists, which I'll list in the link down below, representing different levels: level one is ambient music, level two is classical music, level three is epic movie tracks and similar, level four is lo-fi beats, and level five is intense, techno-electronic music
13:16The second last tip to get the most out of your Pomodoro method is to take better breaks
13:22Link a video somewhere around here about what the best breaks are and why they are the best breaks during your study sessions
13:29But briefly, taking better breaks will help you learn better, and they will also help you maintain physical and mental well-being
13:34So, here are my favorite breaks from most favorite to least favorite: Number one is go outside, number two is exercise, number three is change position, number four is grab a healthy snack, number five is meditate, number six is clean up, number seven is play with a pet, number eight is play an instrument, number nine is talk to a friend or relative, number ten is stare out the window, number eleven is have a short nap, and number twelve is watch a YouTube video
13:58 And if you watch my other..
14:00I'll tell you why I ranked these breaks the way I did
14:01[Music] Finally, our final tip is to gamify your studying
14:05Gamify the Pomodoro method
14:08Evidence shows sufficiently that gamifying things increases performance
14:11My favorite app is the Forest timer on my iPhone, and what I do is hit the start button, throw my phone into another room, and this does two things
14:20The Forest timer first of all incentivizes me to go through my entire study session because if I complete the session, I get a nice little tree
14:29It also prevents me from being distracted by my phone because if I go anywhere else on my phone, the Forest app is designed such that if you leave the app, the tree dies
14:36I don't want my tree to die
14:40I also use the Focus Plus Timer app on my computer for a while, but again, my favorite timer is the physical timer, and then I combine it with the Forest timer on my phone so I can get the benefit of seeing my little forest grow
14:50All in all, the Pomodoro method is an extremely powerful studying tool, but just like any tool, it can be used correctly or incorrectly
14:58If you use the Pomodoro method correctly, your studying and test performance will improve, I promise
15:02But if you liked this today, on this video, thank you so much for watching, and I will see you on the next one.