How Often Should You Take Breaks at Work?

Work breaks can be short or long. Three practical options are a 20-second look-away every 20 minutes, 25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break, and a longer break you choose yourself.

A 20-second look-away every 20 minutes

The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. That is what the Academy suggests for a short look-away break. It is not a cure.

If you want that count in the browser, open the eye break timer. It counts 20 minutes, asks you to look about 20 feet away for 20 seconds, then starts the next 20 minutes. It only runs while that browser tab stays open.

25 minutes of work and a 5-minute break

A common convention is 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break. People call this the Pomodoro pattern. Use it when that block length suits the work.

The Pomodoro timer on this site counts 25 minutes of work, then a 5-minute break. After four work blocks it counts a 15-minute break. It only runs while that browser tab stays open.

Longer breaks are your choice

A longer break is a separate choice from the short ones above. Take one when a task is done, or after a few short cycles. You set the length.

How CapyBreaks helps

The eye break timer and the Pomodoro timer stay in the browser. CapyBreaks is a desktop break reminder app for Mac and Windows. It reminds you without a browser tab. An animated capybara shows up when a reminder is due.

These reminders are on when you first open the app:

• A general break, every 60 minutes.
• A reminder to drink water, every 30 minutes.
• A reminder to stretch, every 45 minutes.
• A posture check, every 20 minutes. It asks you to notice how you are sitting.

Eye Breaks are off until you turn them on. That reminder prompts you to look away, and its interval starts at 20 minutes. You can change any interval, or turn a reminder off.

Working hours are off until you turn them on. The starting schedule is weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. When working hours are on, reminders show only during the hours you set.

Personal is $14.99 once for up to 3 devices, with a 7-day trial. Team is $9.99 per seat. Windows installs from the Microsoft Store. The Mac download is an Apple-silicon DMG. The 7-day trial starts the first time you open the app. You do not need a CapyBreaks account.

A reminder that comes due while the microphone is in use, or while a fullscreen app is active, is skipped and the timers start over. On Windows, reminders also pause when Windows reports presentation mode. On Mac, a presentation in a window that does not fill the screen does not by itself pause reminders. Default idle detection skips a due reminder after 5 minutes without keyboard or mouse and starts the timers over. A screen share by itself does not pause reminders.

CapyBreaks is a reminder app. It will not fix back pain, headaches, or an eye condition.

The download buttons below are the same ones as the homepage. On a Mac they download the Apple-silicon DMG. On Windows they open the Microsoft Store.