How often should you take a break?
There's no single correct number, but the evidence points one way: short and frequent beats long and rare. The UK's Health and Safety Executive puts it plainly: 5–10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every two hours. A 2022 meta-analysis found that even micro-breaks of ten minutes or less lift energy and reduce fatigue, and that longer breaks helped more on demanding tasks.
Choosing a rhythm
| Rhythm | Work / break | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pomodoro | 25 / 5, long break every 4 | Tasks you're avoiding, fragmented days, studying | Interrupts deep work just as it gets going |
| Standard | 50 / 10 | Most desk and admin work | Meetings that run over the hour |
| StopBurnout default | 60 / 10 | Focused work with a natural hourly reset | Stretching "one hour" into two |
| Deep focus | 90 / 20 | Writing, coding, design: long single tasks | Only works if you really stop at 90 |
The 90-minute block is often justified with "ultradian rhythms". The evidence for that is thinner than the internet suggests. See is 90 minutes evidence-based? before you commit to it. If you're not sure, start with 50/10 or 60/10 and adjust after a week. How often should you take a break? goes through the options by type of work.
The hard part is following it
A schedule is a promise made by the version of you that isn't in the middle of something. The version of you at 15:40, deep in a problem, will ask for ten more minutes, and then ten more. That's why a reminder you can dismiss rarely changes anything, and why people who can't stop working tend to need a break that is harder to skip than to take. Not sure how much of a problem that is for you? The burnout test scores your work habits in two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I take a break at work?
For screen-based work, a common rule of thumb is 5 to 10 minutes away from the screen every 50 to 60 minutes, plus a proper lunch. The UK Health and Safety Executive advises that short, frequent breaks are better than longer, less frequent ones. If your work is very intense, shorter blocks such as 25 minutes with 5-minute breaks can suit you better.
Which break rhythm should I choose?
Pick the one you will actually follow. 25/5 (Pomodoro) suits fragmented or dreaded tasks, 50/10 and 60/10 suit most desk work, and 90/20 suits long stretches of deep work if you really do stop after 90 minutes. You can also enter your own work and break lengths.
What happens if my break lands right before lunch?
The calculator moves lunch a little earlier instead of scheduling a break, a few minutes of work and then lunch. When too little of the day is left for a break and more work, the remaining minutes become a short wrap-up block for your end-of-day shutdown routine.
What is in the calendar file?
One event per break, one for lunch and one for the end-of-day wrap-up, dated today, at the local clock times shown in your schedule. Work blocks are left out so your calendar stays readable. The file is created in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Does StopBurnout follow this schedule exactly?
It enforces the rhythm rather than the clock. You set a work limit and a break length, and the app counts active keyboard and mouse time, warns you before the limit, then shows a full-screen break. Time you spend away counts as recovery, so breaks follow the work you actually do. Long breaks, lunch and the wrap-up are not app features; take those yourself.