I have been practicing the Pomodoro technique for over five years. For the past three years, I have utilized my Automato application. During this period, I have undertaken various roles: entrepreneur, unemployed, and employed, working both from home and in offices.
I have gathered some insights that I'd like to share with you. In this discussion, we will explore activities that can be performed at home during resting periods (typically 5 minutes) following a work period (usually 25 minutes).
House Management
This is my favorite aspect because it allows you to end your day with a clean space, eliminating the need to tidy up after work.
Wash dishes. If there's a lot of work, divide the tasks into equal parts, or alternatively, load and unload the dishwasher.
Load and unload the washing machine.
Load and unload the drying machine.
Hang wet clothes on a hanger.
Dust surfaces.
Clean the floor.
Wipe down the dining table.
Operate the robotic vacuum cleaner (or clean it once it has completed its task).
Clean windows and mirrors.
Dispose of the trash, ideally combining this task with a trip up and down the stairs.
Iron clothes in small batches (2-3 items at a time).
Cooking
Cooking efficiently involves preparing ingredients in advance to make meal times easier and healthier. Here are some effective strategies:
Peel raw vegetables to enjoy later as crunchy snacks or dips with evening hummus.
Wash, soak, and then dry leafy greens before storing them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Pre-soak beans or legumes to reduce cooking time and enhance their digestibility.
Boil eggs in advance for quick, protein-rich snacks or meal additions.
Remove some frozen fruits, vegetables, or berries from the freezer for defrosting, making them ready to use when needed.
Physical Activities
Engaging in physical activity is crucial for maintaining your health and well-being. Here are some simple yet effective exercises you can do:
Take a walk around the room. This might help you spot things that need fixing or rearranging.
Perform squats or jumping lunges to strengthen your lower body.
Do push-ups to target your chest, triceps, or shoulders, depending on the variation.
If available, use a pull-up bar for pull-ups, an excellent upper-body workout.
Try different plank variations, such as active, passive, or Plank Jacks, to strengthen your core.
Incorporate stretching to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting, which can shorten muscles and ligaments.
Jumping jacks are not only enjoyable but also help to increase circulation.
With elastic bands, you can expand your exercise repertoire to include movements like over-and-back, as well as bicep and tricep exercises.
Additional Ideas
Learn ten new words in the language you're studying.
Read a page of a book or an article while standing up.
Plan your upcoming day or weekend.
Brainstorm some small ideas for your current side project.
Conclusion
Select whatever is most important or appealing to you at the moment. Naturally, it's not possible to accomplish everything on this list in a single day, but with consistent effort, you'll find that your apartment becomes impeccably clean with everything in its rightful place, you'll always have fresh food in the refrigerator, and more.