No time to sleep? Have a Tomato!
Dear Readers,
I have been trying to make myself productive so I can cope with everything I have on my plate with flair. I have been experimenting with two techniques for the past week, and I am quite happy with the results. I feel it might interest you as well.
Tomato timer?
The Pomodoro Technique was invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. With this method, you use a timer to divide your work into 25-minute chunks that are separated by short breaks. It was all over the internet at one point in time, and even now it is recommended by almost everyone who talks about enhancing productivity.
Interestingly, the name Pomodoro is derived from the Italian word “tomato. ” The story goes that Cirillo used to have a timer in the shape of a tomato that was quite popular at that time, and he started to incorporate this timer into his day-to-day activities. In his words, he needed an au-tomato-ic system to keep him in check.
But for me, this technique was quite dry, and I like listening to some music in the background when I am studying. As expected, the internet has something for everyone. There are a lot of videos on the internet labelled “Study with me: Pomodoro, Calm Lofi.” What was interesting here was that there is a whole community that uses these videos to study. It’s called “Social Facilitation”
Social facilitation refers to the finding that people sometimes work more effectively on a task when they’re around others. - Elizabeth Hopper
This is my go-to video, and I would recommend checking it out. You can find your niche, whether it’s with music or without, if you prefer visuals, or whether just a timer that suits you more. It’s an open world with something for everyone!
Sle(2x)p
I realized that after coming back home I wasn’t able to focus on preparing for my class the next day, and it needed a solution fast. Ever since I was in college, I wanted to try a biphasic sleep schedule, but it was too physically labour-intensive for me to pull it off. I started reading a little about sleep cycles and decided that I would break my sleep into two shifts of 3 hours and 4 hours. You can read more about Biphasic Sleep here. For now, things are looking very positive, and I will keep you updated on my progress.
Now, I wouldn't recommend abandoning a monophasic sleep cycle if it results in sleep deprivation. It can have serious consequences. Sleep is one of the greatest and most essential tools that we have in our arsenal, and we should wield it with care. You can watch this Ted Talk by Sleep Diplomat: Matthew Walker. He is a sleep expert who has a book called “Why we sleep?”
This is more like a short mid-week newsletter, I wanted to experiment with a different format. Would you like to read this newsletter on weekends or during the week? Please let me know in the comments. Your feedback is extremely valuable.
I hope that I am able to add value to anyone who is reading this.
Enjoy your week ahead, Namaste!