What is the Pomodoro technique and does it really work?

The Pomodoro technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. You work in focused 25-minute intervals called "pomodoros," followed by a 5-minute break. After four pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. The idea is that breaking work into chunks reduces mental fatigue and makes large tasks feel more manageable. As for whether it works, research on time-blocking and structured breaks does support improved focus and reduced procrastination for many people. However, it's not universal. It tends to work best for tasks that can be broken into discrete chunks. People doing deep creative or analytical work sometimes find the interruptions disruptive. It's worth trying, but you may need to adjust the interval lengths to suit your own concentration patterns.