This Tiny $17 Gadget Helps You Stay Productive, And Amazon Users Love It

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We've long known that procrastination, in general, is not a laziness problem or a time problem but has more to do with human behavior and psychology. It doesn't have much to do with poor time management either. Productivity tends to fall off if you don't have the right motivation or the right work schedule, and no, that doesn't mean working nonstop all day, every day. One way to deal with all of it, and potentially build more focused work sessions, is to use a technique called the Pomodoro method. You work for a certain amount of time, unhindered and focused, and then take a certain amount of time off, as a small break. Usually, you work in 25-minute intervals with five-minute breaks in between. You track these sessions using a special timer called a Pomodoro timer.

There are many different types of Pomodoro timers with varied designs and styles, and they're one of the most useful gadgets for boosting productivity when working from home. One on Amazon is making the rounds, and Amazon reviewers absolutely adore it. The OORAII rotating Pomodoro timer, available for a mere $17, currently has over 870 reviews on Amazon with a 4.7 out of 5-star score. A whopping 85% of those reviews are 5 stars, with a further 9% at 4 stars, meaning 94% of all reviews are 4 stars or higher. People really seem to love this thing.

Some of the comments praise it as being "elegant, functional," and "almost perfectly designed." Others have said it's an "essential task timer," or that it was precisely what they needed to stay focused and energized throughout their day.

Invented in the 1980s by a French university student trying to improve their studying, named Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro technique specifically addresses natural burnout. He originally used a small manual timer or egg timer, like a digital kitchen timer. Cirillo learned, however, that the small breaks in between focused sessions can give your body enough time to relax and unwind and keep you going, provided you're following the regimen and truly take a break.

The Pomodoro technique has been known to provide several benefits during intense work or study sessions, including improved focus, minimized distractions, fewer feelings of burnout, and overall better motivation. It also reduces stress and anxiety related to the work itself, such as the impending doom of pressing deadlines.

The $17 OORAII Pomodoro timer from Amazon works by allowing you to track your individual 25-minute focused sessions, interspersed with five-minute breaks. There are preset intervals to make them easier to select, along with additional 10-minute and 50-minute intervals. Once the timer is set, it will sound an audible alert with three volume settings — silent, low and high — to let you know the timer is finished. It senses which interval you choose via a gravity sensor, and when you flip it, the system knows. Moreover, it offers a long battery life with USB-C charging for convenience. Sure, you could technically use one of the more obvious Amazon gadgets out there, like an Echo speaker or Alexa-enabled device. But the OORAII Pomodoro timer has the presets ready for the technique, so there's no need to fiddle with a clock or timer, and it's really convenient to use and get going. Plus, it's only $17, which is less than your average fast food meal these days.