Ask HN: What should I do on my Pomodoro breaks?

1 pointforstmeier2 comments

I'd like to not default to scrolling Twitter or watching videos on YouTube on my breaks throughout the workday.

I'm looking for recommendations for bite-sized productive things to do for the "break" periods (both the short and long) featured in the Pomodoro method. Ideally these wouldn't require "deep focus" or anything in order to accomplish them.

View on HN

The point of the break period is to give yourself time away from your work so by nature I'm not sure how 'productive' you want it to be because any other productive activity requires focus. If you want to avoid moving pictures during your break, the optimization of the time doesn't have to be productive:

- go for a walk (even if its only within your work area)

- talk if you're around someone who also needs a break)

- organize your time/ideas for your next task

- water your plants (if you have any)

- play with your dog/cat (if you have any)

- stretching or some other short spurt of physical activity

- work on a puzzle

- chess

- drawing

- meditate

- nap

Good point regarding productivity.

And that's a good list - I like the walking and stretching ideas a lot.

Chess and drawing too especially the latter since that's taking my eyes off the screen.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com