Last week we discussed The Pomodoro Technique and its many benefits. If you don’t know what the Pomodoro Technique is then please read last week’s post.

When I wrote last week I had used Pomodoro almost every day for months, but I had never tried to tweak it for better results. After my post I decided it was time to break from the normal cycle of 25 minutes working with a 5 minute break. I read about a cycle using 52 minutes of focused work with a 17 minute break. This cycle is supposed to offer much better productivity. So I decided to try it out.

Improved Pomodoro

The biggest thing I liked about the 52 minute cycle was that it gave me better focus during each Pomodoro. I am essentially completing two Pomodoros at the same time. On the 25 minute cycle I would have stopped at 25, taken a short break and then when I started I would need to get back into the flow of my work. Generally the 5 minute break was not so long that I would forget what I was doing but there is still some loss of focus at the very beginning of the Pomodoro. By combining them I pass through the first 25 minutes without breaking my concentration.

I was skeptical of the 17 minute break at first because I thought it was too long and it would be too easy to lose track of what I was working on. It was a bit harder to remember what I had been doing, but not hard enough to make a difference. The benefit of the 17 minute break is that it is very relaxing. On the old Pomodoro I would be rushing to use the bathroom and refill my drink before the 5 minutes had elapsed. With 17 minutes I had plenty of time to sit back and relax. This was very refreshing and made it easy to get started again.

I also found that the longer focus time helped me to plan my day better. Rather than split my tasks between 10 and 12 Pomodoros I was able to complete many small tasks in one Pomodoro and then use the rest of my Pomodoros to focus on one big task.

Which is better?

I would recommend getting to know the 25 minute Pomodoro and then looking for ways to improve it to suit your needs. I was very impressed with how well 52 minutes worked so I will probably stick with this new timing for a while, and then I might try another one. I can’t say whether 25 or 52 is better, because it depends on your personality, style of work, and the type of work that you do.