Having the ability to effectively manage time is crucial for achieving a balance between work and personal life. However, it is worrisome to see that 82% of individuals lack a formal time management system, especially when considering the multitude of tasks that need to be accomplished daily.
The amount of time we have in a day is limited to only 24 hours, so our ability to manage time determines whether we are able to do certain things and how effectively we can do them. This aspiration to effectively manage time has given rise to several productivity techniques, such as time blocking, time boxing, and the Eisenhower Matrix.
The Flowtime Technique has been steadily increasing in popularity in recent years, and Akiflow serves as a superb platform for employing this time management system. This article provides a detailed analysis of the Flowtime Technique, highlighting both its benefits and drawbacks.
Flowtime Technique
Zoe Read-Bivens is credited with the creation of the Flowtime Technique, which is a modified version of the Pomodoro Technique. Instead of dividing work or study time into 25-minute intervals, in the Flowtime Technique, you continue with a task until its completion or until you become fatigued. To illustrate the functioning of the Flowtime Technique, we will use the scenario of a web designer who is tasked with building a website for a client.
Our designer will use the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 25 minutes followed by a five-minute break. On the other hand, with the Flowtime Technique, our designer will start a timer when they begin working and keep it running until they feel tired or bored. Although this method may appear similar to the Pomodoro Technique, the key distinction is that breaks are taken as needed.
The reason for adopting the Flowtime Study Technique is that the Pomodoro Technique is not always appropriate for creative or problem-solving tasks. In such cases, one may enter a state of flow right before the 25-minute mark, but have to end the session as soon as the timer goes off. This can impact concentration.
A step-by-step guide to the Flowtime technique
If you’d like to give the Flowtime technique a try, follow these steps:
- Pick a task. Multitasking is a no go; only do one task at a time and give it your maximum focus.
- Write down the time when you got started. You can do it manually or use time tracking software.
- Work until you start to lose focus and feel tired. Check out the heading below for additional signs you may need to rest for a couple of minutes.
- Take a break. The break can last for however long you need to feel rested and refreshed. Write down the exact time you went on the break, as well as the break length. There are some suggested rest time lengths (but you’re under no obligation to follow them):
- For under 25 minutes of work, go on a five-minute break.
- After 25-50 minutes of work, get an eight-minute pause.
- When you complete 50-90 minutes of work, you can have a 10-minute rest.
- More than 90 minutes of work can be followed by 15-20 minutes of break time.
- Repeat.
If you are interrupted while thinking step by step, make note of the interruption along with the time it occurred. When you resume your thinking, also make a note of the time. This practice will help you become more conscious of what distracts you and enable you to prevent it more effectively.
As you progress over time, you will discover the ideal number of minutes for work and the amount of time required for recharging.
How do you know you need to take a break
When implementing the Flowtime technique, a significant question arises regarding breaks – how will one determine the appropriate time for a break? Fortunately, the encouraging aspect is that your brain will provide clear indications, which include:
- You start feeling tired,
- You feel like you’ve been sitting for too long,
- You’ve finished a (longer) task,
- You have a hard time focusing, or
- You can’t seem to find the right solution to something you’re working on (and it gets you increasingly frustrated).
The technique has few rules, but the most crucial aspect is to heed your inner voice. Its biggest advantage lies in its simplicity.
Advantages of Flowtime
It is common knowledge that there are no perfect systems, and the same goes for productivity systems which often require a personal touch. In this section, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Flowtime Studying Technique.
Helps with tracking time spent on tasks
The reason for engaging in different productivity techniques is to enhance our procedures. This frequently involves organizing our work or studying, and what could be a more effective approach than monitoring the time it takes to complete a task.
By employing the Flowtime Technique, you can easily determine the duration of a task all at once instead of dividing it into multiple time intervals. This makes it simpler to estimate the time required for an activity and enables you to schedule your time accurately. This aspect is particularly beneficial for freelancers who are remunerated based on the amount of time dedicated to a task.
It allows you to stay focused longer
The most difficult aspect of any task is initiating it, but once you begin and utilize the Pomodoro Technique, the timer may go off just as you’re getting immersed in the work. Even if you choose not to take a break, overcoming that distraction can often be challenging.
Research has shown that it takes over 20 minutes to regain focus after a distraction due to our easily distracted brains. Consequently, it is crucial to keep distractions at a distance. The Flowtime Study Technique serves as the ideal tool to accomplish this.
It helps you plan better
As previously mentioned, the Flowtime Technique serves the purpose of tracking the duration of task completion. In addition to this, it enables the identification and elimination of distracting factors. According to Read-Bivens, users are recommended to identify and record any distractions encountered during the utilization of the Flowtime Technique.
Find out the optimum periods for working.
Everyone has different peak periods of productivity. For some individuals, this occurs in the morning, whereas others find themselves most productive during the night.
Regardless of your position, the Flowtime Technique assists in identifying your most productive periods. It also allows you to determine the most suitable work locations if you work from multiple places.
Flexibility to take breaks
To utilize the Pomodoro Technique, individuals must adhere to preset intervals for taking breaks. However, personal working habits are not taken into account. In contrast, the Flowtime Technique allows breaks to be taken only when necessary, disregarding the indications of a timer.
Disadvantages of the Flowtime Technique
The Flowtime Technique has the following disadvantages:
It is not ideal for erratic work or studying schedules
The Flowtime Studying Technique is most effective when you have the ability to work or study without interruptions for a substantial amount of time. Consequently, individuals who work in jobs that involve interruptions may encounter difficulties in adhering to this technique. Conversely, students and freelancers might consider it to be perfect.
Planning might be harder
In order to effectively plan your work, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the tasks at hand and their respective priorities. It is crucial to focus on one task at a time until completion before moving on to the next.
Difficulty getting the right time blocks
If you utilize the Flowtime Technique, you may encounter difficulties in accurately determining the time required for specific tasks. This is because tasks that are seemingly identical might demand distinct approaches, leading to variations in the time required to complete them. Nonetheless, you can rely on an estimation to comprehend the duration for which you engage in particular tasks.
How to make the most out of the Flowtime technique
Let’s now consider how to maximize productivity by utilizing the Flowtime technique, after understanding its concept and weighing its advantages and disadvantages.
Pick one specific task: no multitasking
The only strict rule of this technique is to work on only one task at a time, which is also known as unitasking.
Although it may appear that multitasking allows for increased productivity, it is actually the opposite. Research suggests that the human mind and brain are not equipped to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Engaging in multitasking leads to a diminished concentration, resulting in a greater number of mistakes and incomplete tasks.
You can achieve excellent results only by giving your full attention and effort to one task at a time.
In a Forbes article, Lindsey Pollak, a career expert and author of Getting from College to Career, emphasized the significance of being able to unitask. According to Pollak, having the ability to concentrate on one task is crucial for projects and decisions that necessitate undisturbed and profound thinking. Without this skill, the outcome may be satisfactory, but by dedicating full attention to a single task, the chances of achieving exceptional results significantly increase.
Remove distractions
Before you start working, it is important to eliminate all distractions. You likely already know what distracts you the most, such as social media or engaging in conversations with your colleagues. Therefore, before you begin working, ensure that you:
- Turn off all notifications,
- Put your phone in silent mode and/or in another room,
- Put on noise-canceling headphones,
- Let your coworkers know you’re working on something important so they don’t interrupt you,
- Leave only the things you need for work on your desk (and maybe a cup of coffee or a snack),
- Keep a piece of paper for scribbling down the thoughts that deserve attention, but not right now, such as “I need to pay my bills today” or “I need to call a friend to wish her a happy birthday”. Write them down and continue focusing on your task. Those thoughts are important, but not urgent — they can wait for your next break.
Use a time tracking app
When you begin using the Flowtime technique, you need to record the precise moments at which you commence or cease working, encounter interruptions, and so on. The process of manually documenting everything is tedious and presents a risk of misplacing your papers.
To begin a task, press Start and the timer will start counting. When the work interval finishes, a notification will inform you that it’s time for a break. Another notification will alert you to resume work.
By thinking systematically, you can rephrase the given text as follows: It will be easier to have a clear overview of all ongoing projects by thinking step by step. Additionally, finding optimal work/rest time intervals will be noticeably less challenging, thanks to having a pattern.
Don’t interrupt your flow with a mandatory break
It is crucial to understand that even after you determine the ideal time intervals for yourself, they are not rigid. If the timer goes off, you are not obligated to take a break if you feel it is unnecessary. The key is to listen to your mind and body, as nothing is obligatory (except unitasking), and adjustments can be made to accommodate your current work habits.
