One common failure mode I’ve noticed in myself is taking breaks. After some productive work, I sometimes intend to take a 5 min or 10 min break, but I end up never returning in the specified time. In fact, I sometimes take several days to get back on to the task at hand.
It’s like Zeno’s paradox kicks in every time you try to start afresh after a break.
I’ve previously tried to avoid taking breaks in the first place ― and work in three hour sessions, but I wasn’t consistent enough to do this everyday.
I’ve also had this problem. I think the following things help:
1) making the specified time 10 minutes rather than 5 − 5 never feels like a real break to me
2) doing social pomodoros with other people, so the return time is coordinated with others (this is by far the most effective intervention)
3) doing a breaktime activity that doesn’t immediately suck me in (e.g. stretching and listening to a song, or talking to people, rather than social media)
4) if I encounter something during the break that feels important or urgent, write it down so I know I won’t forget it and can come back to it later
5) …not being terrified of the task in question. I haven’t yet quite gotten the hang of this, for a lot of things. For tasks that are not very scary to me, returning to work is much easier.
6) having enough other time in the day to do things just for fun so I feel less like I have to steal productive time in order to have any fun at all (this is kinda hard to arrange though, sometimes)
It’s surprising that taking a five or ten minute break makes such a big difference. I wonder what would happen if you practicing taking 5 minute breaks throughout the day, e.g. pomodoros.
One common failure mode I’ve noticed in myself is taking breaks. After some productive work, I sometimes intend to take a 5 min or 10 min break, but I end up never returning in the specified time. In fact, I sometimes take several days to get back on to the task at hand.
It’s like Zeno’s paradox kicks in every time you try to start afresh after a break.
I’ve previously tried to avoid taking breaks in the first place ― and work in three hour sessions, but I wasn’t consistent enough to do this everyday.
I’ve also had this problem. I think the following things help:
1) making the specified time 10 minutes rather than 5 − 5 never feels like a real break to me
2) doing social pomodoros with other people, so the return time is coordinated with others (this is by far the most effective intervention)
3) doing a breaktime activity that doesn’t immediately suck me in (e.g. stretching and listening to a song, or talking to people, rather than social media)
4) if I encounter something during the break that feels important or urgent, write it down so I know I won’t forget it and can come back to it later
5) …not being terrified of the task in question. I haven’t yet quite gotten the hang of this, for a lot of things. For tasks that are not very scary to me, returning to work is much easier.
6) having enough other time in the day to do things just for fun so I feel less like I have to steal productive time in order to have any fun at all (this is kinda hard to arrange though, sometimes)
It’s surprising that taking a five or ten minute break makes such a big difference. I wonder what would happen if you practicing taking 5 minute breaks throughout the day, e.g. pomodoros.