35 Things to Do with a 5 Minute Break
On the days I'm working at my desk, I frequently use the Pomodoro technique to keep me on-track and efficient. If you aren't familiar with the technique, the idea is to use a timer (via the app, or a kitchen timer) to track certain amounts of time for work followed by a certain amount of time for a break in which no work related activities are allowed. After several short breaks, you get a long break. Traditionally, it's set up to work 20 minutes with a 5 minute break, but some people will do 30 minutes of work and 10 minute breaks or even 90 minute work sessions followed by 30 minute breaks. It all depends on the task you're trying to complete and what you think will work best for you.
For me, I usually stick to the 20 minutes on, 5 minutes off schedule, so I find myself with a lot of 5 minute windows throughout my day. When I first started using this technique, I didn't even know what to do with the 5 minutes. As someone who is constantly "on" and considers scrolling emails and Instagram as down time activities, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to do something non-work related. Five minutes felt like an eternal void to fill. But with a little time and practice, I've now managed to come up with a list of things that make me wish I had more than five minutes in a break.
Whether you use the technique or not, many of us have small blocks of time throughout the day, so I thought I'd share my ideas of things you can do in 5 minutes, because mindlessly scrolling through our phones in our free time is a habit we could all do without....
Call a friend or parent
Walk around the block
Load the dishwasher
Empty the dishwasher
Wash dishes
Put away dishes
Sweep the kitchen floor
Organize your spices
Clean out the fridge or freezer
Shred old papers
Water your plants
Find a recipe for dinner
Pull out the non-perishable ingredients for dinner
Pay a bill (or bills)
Read a chapter of a book
Make the bed
Change the sheets
Fold some laundry
Take out the trash
Dust a room (or, if you have a piece of furniture with a lot of knick knacks, just do that one piece)
Organize a folder in your inbox or on your desktop
Pray or meditate
Draw or color (Ya know, in your adult coloring books!)
Have a dance party
Do a yoga stretch or two
Lift weights
Do a few desk exercises
Practice phrases in a language you're trying to learn
Clean out your purse
Make a cup of tea, hot chocolate or coffee
Have a snack
Work on a crossword puzzle
Work on a craft project (knitting, calligraphy, etc)
Order flowers as a surprise for a loved one
Write a letter or postcard to a loved one (Don't forget to mail it!)
I'd love to know- what do you do with a 5 minute break? Is there anything that I left off of this list?