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Do you ever feel overwhelmed, frustrated or distracted in trying to work through your task list? If you are anything like me as a busy mom wearing many hats then it is probably a constant problem that you feel one of these three emotions.

What did I do to fix it?

I love using a timer. My kids have even learned to listen for my timer. I use it a lot when they are home from breaks and for the summer. It allows me to be able to work and create a routine for them.

I can take some of the overwhelm out because when I am focused I can work dilligently on one task at a time and make quite a bit of progress.

I can curb the frustration, because even though I know there might be a lot on my list. I know that I am one person, and when the timer says time is up I know that I have done all that I can to get through my list.

And definitely a fighter for distractions. For those 30 minutes I tune out all notifications, distractions and really dive into focus.

Using a Timer in the Pomodoro Method

I adopted the use of the timer when I found the pomodoro method. This was developed in the 1980s by an Italian college student, Francesco Cirillo. He was struggling to keep his focus and wanted to try something new to help him through his studies.

The only thing he had available was a tomato shaped timer from his kitchen. And tomato in Italian in pomodoro and thus the method came into existence.

It uses a rotation of time working and time for breaks over an extended amount of time (usually two hours, but can be adapted to what you have available. It looks something like this:

The timer that I have fallen in love with is this timer from Amazon, Home and Office Timer. I use this timer a little differently than the 25 minutes, because I prefer the full 30 minute work time as I work better for that extra 5 minutes. I still do the same thing, but just love that extra five minutes of work time. Each person has the ability to use the Pomodoro in a way that suits their needs. Maybe you only have 15 minute time frames to work from, maybe you have longer. The best thing to do is to try it out and see what works best for you.

The best thing from using a timer and the pomodoro…curbing distractions, having a plan in place for my work time, and being focused on crushing my to do list!

Are you interested in hearing about my top ten time management tips in which I talk more about the Pomodoro Technique (and even include a bonus video of how I use it with my business)? Click the button below.