When I started crocheting and knitting on a daily basis, I began struggling with hand, wrist, and forearm pain. It was super annoying and uncomfortable and I knew that I needed to find a solution before things got worse!
My previous strategy was to push on as long as I could, and then when the pain bothered me too much to continue, I would stop and take a break. During the break I would stretch my hands and massage my forearms. Then I would go back to my project, but I wouldn’t really be able to continue on much longer because my muscles and tendons were already very aggravated.
This was a huge problem for me. I have all these ideas and projects that I want to work on, but I was held back by physical discomfort and pain. My body would not continue as long as my mind wanted to.
The Pomodoro Technique
Recently, I learned about this time management method called the Pomodoro Technique, invented by Francesco Cirillo. I was intrigued by the idea.
Essentially, it is a system where you set a timer for 25 minutes and during this time you work without interruption or breaks. When the 25 minutes is over, you stop working, and take a short 3-5 minute break.
Traditionally, you would go through a total of four of these 25 minute sessions with a short break in between, and then after the fourth work cycle, take a longer break for 15-30 minutes.
FUN FACT: Pomodoro means ‘tomato’ in italian. The name was inspired by a little timer that is modeled after a tomato.
Does it work??
This past week I decided that I would give the Pomodoro Technique a try. The short sessions seemed like just the right amount of time to go all in and focus. The built in breaks allow just enough time to get up and stretch.
I had been attempting to knit my first sock, and progress had felt extremely slow. Using a light fingering weight yarn, and the tiniest needles I had ever worked with, my hands were cramping quite a bit. After several days, I had gotten through from the toe to the heel, and all that was all that was left was the leg of the sock. The way things were going, I expected that the sock would take me all day to finish due to hand cramping and body pains.
I set the timer for the first set of 25 minutes. Even though I probably could have kept going, when the timer rang I stopped, stood up, moved around, and stretched my shoulders, arms, and hands for 5 minutes.
I repeated this cycle 4 times, and wouldn’t you know it, I finished my sock!! AND even more impressively, I was BARELY feeling any discomfort- probably about a 1/10 on the pain scale, if that. Normally I get up to a 5 or 6/10 with my typical work/break cycle. It truly amazed me.
If I hadn’t been working in short blocks following the Pomodoro Technique, I would have worked for an hour or so until I felt pain, then I would have to stop and take a break for an extended amount of time, losing motivation to go back to my project. This sock would have taken me all day!
The Pomodoro Technique is a game changer and let me tell you, I am HOOKED.
Additional Benefits
Beyond helping me to significantly reduce pain and discomfort resulting from daily knitting and crocheting, I am finding that there are some other pretty awesome benefits.
Already the Pomodoro Technique has also helped me:
- increase focus and productivity
- regulate workflow
- focus on mental and physical well-being
- become more effective in planning project timelines
Beyond the physical benefits that I have already experienced, this method can even help with planning! It can be used to get a better gauge of how much progress can be made on a project in a certain amount of time.
For example, I plan to record how many rows I can complete in a 25 minute block. Then I will multiply that by 2 to get an approximate number of rows per hour.
The break down:
Two 25 minute blocks = 50 minutes + two 5 minute breaks = 60 minutes
If I know about how many rows per hour that I can complete for a particular project, then I can approximate how many hours it will take me to finish the project with this method. This will help me to better plan for what I can accomplish in a day, week, or month.
I tend to bite off more than I can chew in my own planning and expectations for the timeline of creating and publishing my own patterns. That leads to feeling not so great about my progress and perpetual disappointment. When I have a more accurate idea of what I can actually accomplish, planning will be so much smoother. Ultimately, this technique will make my business much more organized, productive, and most importantly- less painful!
I would highly recommend that you give the Pomodoro Technique a try, especially if you are facing some of the same issues that I have. It just might help you increase productivity, plan better, and feel better!
Let me know what you think in a comment below!
