What to do on a Pomodoro break: 12 ideas, ranked
Twelve things to do on a 5-minute Pomodoro break, ranked by how refreshed and focused you'll be afterwards, from light exercise to the phone scroll.
By the Gymodoro team · · 2 min read
Key takeaways
- The best breaks get you away from screens, get you moving, and end on time.
- Light exercise, a short walk and stretching top the list. Scrolling and checking email come last.
- Rotate a few favourites so breaks never become one more decision.
A Pomodoro break is only five minutes, so what you do with it matters. We ranked twelve common break activities by three simple tests: does it rest the parts of you that were working, does it get you off the screen, and does it end on time?
The best breaks
1. A short bodyweight exercise
Squats, desk push-ups or lunges raise your heart rate a little, change your posture and finish when the set does. That's why we put them first. Here are 15 desk exercises for a 5-minute break.
2. A quick walk
Even a lap of the office or a trip down the stairs and back helps. Stanford research found walking boosted creative idea generation by around 60%, so it's an ideal break when you're stuck.
3. Stretching
Hip flexors, chest and wrists take the brunt of desk work. Two minutes of stretching each break adds up to a lot of mobility over a week.
4. Look out of a window
Focusing on something far away rests eye muscles that have been locked on a screen at arm's length. Pair it with any of the above.
Good breaks
5. Refill water or make tea
It's a reason to stand and walk, and a reason to stay hydrated. It makes a good second half to an exercise break.
6. Breathing exercise
A minute of slow breathing (for example, a longer exhale than inhale) is a calm reset after a stressful block, especially on days when you can't move much.
7. Tidy your desk
It's light movement with a small payoff: a clearer workspace for the next block.
8. A quick chat with someone nearby
Social breaks are restorative, but they're hard to keep to five minutes. Save longer chats for your long break.
Breaks to avoid
9. Checking email or messages
It feels productive, but it isn't a break. It's another task, and it often brings new problems back into your head before the next block.
10. Reading the news
News is endless and often stressful, which is a bad combination for a five-minute reset.
11. Short videos
Autoplay is designed to keep you watching. One video becomes six, and your attention is somewhere else entirely.
12. Scrolling social media
The bottom of the list. Infinite feeds have no stopping cue, keep you seated and on a screen, and research on interruptions suggests it can take more than 20 minutes to fully re-engage with your work afterwards. See how to stop doomscrolling on your work breaks.
Make good breaks automatic
Knowing the list isn't the hard part. Remembering it when you're tired is. That's why Gymodoro puts an exercise on screen the moment your focus timer ends, with a demo video and a countdown, so the best option is also the easiest one. For the full method, read the Pomodoro Technique with exercise breaks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to do on a 5-minute break?
Light physical activity such as a few bodyweight exercises, a short walk or stretching. These get you off the screen, change your posture and end on time.
Is it bad to use your phone on a Pomodoro break?
It is one of the least restorative options. Social feeds and video apps have no natural stopping point, so breaks overrun and it is harder to refocus afterwards.
How long should a Pomodoro break be?
The standard is 5 minutes after each 25-minute focus block, with a longer 15–30 minute break after four rounds.