The Flowtime Technique: what it is and how it works when applied to work

This is how the Flowtime Technique works, a resource to perform better at work.

The Flowtime technique is a method for performing tasks that uses work intervals and rest periods as rewards to maximize the subjects' productivity.

What is innovative about this technique is that it allows greater adaptation to the characteristics of the subject, to the type of task, as well as to different variables that can influence their performance and state of concentration. Thus, this greater flexibility will work better with tasks that require greater creativity, longer concentration time or that are of greater interest to the subject.

In order to apply this work strategy well, we must record the period of task, the breaks we take or the distractions we have, so that with this greater control we can also know which plan benefits each person more, which is best suited to their lifestyle, their personality and we can thus take advantage of the period of "flow" of maximum concentration and production of the subject.

In this article we will see what is the Flowtime techniquetechnique, which will allow you to be more productive and make better use of your work time, pointing out how you should apply it, as well as the main differences it shows with another well-known method, the Pomodoro technique.

What is the Flowtime Technique

The Flowtime technique is a method of study or work to be as productive as possible. In this way, we set a work time and a rest period always adapted to the lifestyle, personality and type of work or study performed by the individual.

Thus, to proceed with the realization of this technique we must choose a specific task that we want to perform, record the start time and start working, stop and take a break when we notice that it is necessary and note the time, set what time of rest we will take and repeat the cycle until we get to finish the task set.

This method, as already mentioned, will take into account the different individual variables of the subject and the task that needs to be done, being more adaptable also with respect to schedules, work time and breaks. The main objective will be to know what procedure or method works best for each subject to be as productive as possible, without cutting or limiting their work and giving them the time they need both to perform the task and to rest.

If we look at the terms that form the name of the technique also gives us more information about the consistency of this. It is composed of the English word "time" which means time, since this method requires keeping track and recording the time of task and rest and the word "flow", this concept is defined as a state in which the subject is totally focused on the task, has a sense of control of it and loses time orientation, the time passes faster and his self-consciousness is diminished, since he is 100% focused on the work he is doing.

Once the concept of "flow" is understood, it will be very important to take advantage of this state of maximum concentration and productivity and not to cut it or interrupt it, since we may not be able to recover it again after taking a break.

How to apply it to work?

Taking into account the description of the technique, the way to apply it will be quite flexible and adaptable to the needs of each individual. So, first we will select which task we want to perform (it is essential to have clear objectives). To start introducing the method, it may help to first set yourself simpler tasks, and then, when you have a better command of it, you can use it as a starting point.Then, when you have more mastery of it, work with more complex and time-consuming tasks.

Once the task has been set, we will start the work period by writing down the start time. It will be essential that we keep a log and record all the breaks we take and the time we work.. This organization of time will depend on each one of us, on how we feel, on our state of tiredness and concentration, so there will not be an established schedule or any timer that will mark the breaks, but the indicator will be our concentration and our ability to continue working, it is not useful or productive to continue with the task if we feel tired and our attention is not focused on it, it will be better to stop and then continue with more energy and desire.

Thus, it will not be necessary to set a rigid schedule, nor follow a work time established by others, but it will depend on oneself. The proposed interval is very flexible and ranges from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on the characteristics of each subject.depending on the characteristics of each subject and the type of task performed. We will also be able to continue working even if the time exceeds the interval of 90 minutes, setting an alarm after 15 minutes.

Breaks

In reference to the rest, this will be proportional to the worked time, supposing from a 10 to 50% of this oneand also taking into account in what state you are and if you feel ready to undertake the task again with your concentration restored and with all your capacities. In case you notice that you can no longer perform at all and that you are not able to be productive, it is better to leave the task and rest for a long period of time.

Similarly, we must take into account that there are different variables that may affect: the type of task (it is not the same to make an outline than to read a topic), if we have all day to do the task or we have to do other activities, or if we are better or worse at the work we are doing.

Making notes to get better organized when working.

When we record the time of task and rest, it is recommended to also note down the interruptions that we have hadWhether by other people, a phone call, a message or stimuli in our environment that may have distracted our attention, it is also advisable to note down any interruptions we have had.

For example, you can work for 25 minutes or so and proceed to take a 5-minute break; perform task between 25 to 50 minutes and rest for 8 minutes; work for an interval of between 50 to 90 minutes to take a 10-minute break or if you can stay focused on the task for 90 minutes, take a 15-minute break.

Differences between the Flowtime Technique and the Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro technique is also a method used to study and work by controlling the time we invest in the task and the time we are resting. It presents some similar characteristics with the Flowtime method, such as the concreteness and fixation of the time spent on the task.It presents some similar characteristics with the Flowtime method, such as the concretion and fixation of an objective on which we will focus our work; in addition, it does not involve multitasking, it proposes an organization of time and allows for breaks.

But unlike the Flowtime technique, the Pomodoro is much more rigid, marking the time in a much more concrete way and not adapting so much to the characteristics or personality of each subject or to the type of work.

The period in the Pomodoro method consists of working for 25 minutes and resting for 5 minutes.Thus, when you have done 4 blocks in a row, you can rest for 15 to 20 minutes. But this time or interval of work does not work for all tasks or for all individuals; it can be that we are concentrated and the alarm goes off distracting us and cutting our work making us lose the rhythm or in tasks of greater creativity where a longer period is needed to begin to be productive the 25 minutes are too short.

The Pomodoro technique is not a bad work strategy, although it will be more focused on more repetitive tasks.s where it is necessary for us to be concentrated or tasks that we do not like, since having the short intervals set and the rest time as a reward established, can motivate us and help us to better maintain our concentration. But when more flexibility is needed or more creativity is required, it will be more advisable to use the Flowtime technique if we want to be more productive and leave time for the flow state to appear.

On the other hand, the Flowtime method not only allows us to adapt the work time to our capabilities, but also makes it easier for the intervals to be different. We know that our concentration is not the same in the morning as it is at night, and that there are individuals who work better early in the day or others who are more nocturnal and work better later in the day. Therefore, the Flowtime strategy will allow longer and shorter periods with more or less extensive rest intervals depending on the time of day or the subject's condition..

Thus, we see how the Pomodoro method poses an external control, that is, there is a timer and a preset time that will mark when to stop and when to return to work; on the other hand, the Flowtime technique presents an internal control, pending more on the physiological or cognitive state of the subject, he himself will decide when to stop, when his mind can no longer cope.