What day is it again?
As we continue to stay indoors and work from home, the hours – or indeed days – may feel like they are starting to blend into each other. In this new Groundhog Day-esque existence, Sunday and Tuesdays and Thursdays meld into one, punctuated by long, gaping weekends.
You may, as a result, be struggling to stay motivated or productive, or to manage your time as effectively as you might have done in a rigid office environment. Enter the Pomodoro timer.
Break up your day
A time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro technique does not, as the name may suggest, encourage excessive pasta consumption.
What it does is break your working day into 25 minute intervals, separated by five-minute breaks. After four 25-minute “pomodori”, there is a 15-minute break. Used by millions of people around the world to improve productivity, the method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. The timers can be downloaded for free from multiple sources online.
The technique encourages you to focus fully on a single task for an allocated amount of time, rather than allowing your attention to wander aimlessly. All you have to do is set your task and then vow to give it your undivided attention for 25 minutes. If you realise mid-task that there’s something else that needs to be done, simply make a note of it, and then continue on. When it’s time for your break, make sure to distract yourself for five minutes – make a cup of tea, walk around your living room or head to your balcony for some fresh air.
Once you get the hang of the Pomodoro technique, you’ll get better at estimating how long certain tasks take, and organising your pomodori accordingly. You’ll also learn that there are very few emails or calls that can’t wait to be answered.
If the 25-minute timeframe doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of tools online that will allow you to customise the technique – the important thing is to break your working day into manageable chunks, be mindful of how you are spending your time and to get those much-needed breaks in between.
Do the things you dread first
Maybe it’s an unpleasant phone call that you’ve been putting off. Or some much-hated admin that has lurked at the top of your to-do list for days. Or that project that you don’t want to start because it feels too overwhelming.
Whatever it is, tackle it first. Otherwise it’ll just become a distraction as you try to get through your working day. You might be tempted to ease into your day by getting the easy things out of the way, but there’s nothing more satisfying than setting out with a sense of achievement (as opposed to a sense of dread).
Set a schedule
When you’re working from home, it can be tempting to have a little lie-in, or turn breakfast into an extended affair, or work later into the evenings. But setting a rigid schedule and sticking to it will help you stay focused and productive. As we are all currently confined to our homes, it is more important than ever to create a clear differentiator between work time and non-work time.
Maintain a clutter-free space
A few weeks in and your “home office” may have started looking a little messy, which may be impacting your state of mind. Keep your work space clutter-free and simple – a laptop, phone and a note pad are all you really need to get things done.
Plan for tomorrow
Before you sign off for the day, spend a few minutes thinking about what you need to achieve the following day. Make a short list and then shut off completely. This means you’ll start your day with a sense of focus.
Consume less information
We live in an age when we are inundated with information, but if you want to maintain focus, you’ll have to start being a lot more selective about what information you consume and when you consume it. Start thinking about what value you are getting out of the information you are consuming – and then be a lot stricter with yourself.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
WITHIN%20SAND
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
More on animal trafficking
RESULTS
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
