Short answer: after a Flowtime session, rest about 5 minutes if you worked under 25 minutes, 8 minutes after 25 to 50, 10 minutes after 50 to 90 and 15 minutes after more than 90. That's the sliding scale from Zoë Read-Bivens' 2016 post that introduced the Flowtime Technique. A simpler option is the 1/5 rule: rest one fifth of the time you worked.
The printable break chart
Print this page (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) or screenshot the table and keep it next to your desk.
| You focused for | Sliding scale (Read-Bivens) | 1/5 rule |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 5 min | 2 min |
| 15 min | 5 min | 3 min |
| 20 min | 5 min | 4 min |
| 25 min | 5–8 min | 5 min |
| 30 min | 8 min | 6 min |
| 40 min | 8 min | 8 min |
| 50 min | 8–10 min | 10 min |
| 60 min | 10 min | 12 min |
| 75 min | 10 min | 15 min |
| 90 min | 10–15 min | 18 min |
| 120 min | 15 min | 24 min |
Where a session lands exactly on a boundary (25, 50 or 90 minutes), either break is fine. Pick the longer one if you feel tired.
Where the sliding scale comes from
Read-Bivens described Flowtime in a 2016 Medium post as a fix for the Pomodoro timer interrupting her mid-thought. You pick one task, note the start time, work until you need a break, note the stop time and then choose a break. Her suggested lengths were 5 minutes for under about 25 minutes of work, 8 for 25 to 50, 10 for 50 to 90 and 15 for more than that. She was clear they aren't rules: if you need 10 minutes after 40 minutes of work, take it, because refreshed work beats fatigued work.
Where the 1/5 rule comes from
The 1/5 rule is the simpler version used by "Flowmodoro" timers: break = work ÷ 5. It mirrors the Pomodoro ratio (25 minutes of work, 5 of rest) but scales with however long you actually worked, so you don't need a chart at all. FlowTime's flow timer uses it by default and also lets you pick ÷ 4 or ÷ 3 if you want longer rests. It keeps breaks between 1 and 30 minutes.
Which one should you use?
- Mostly short sessions (under 25 min)? Use the sliding scale. The 1/5 rule gives you only 2–4 minutes, which is often too short to really step away.
- Mostly 25–60 minute sessions? Either. They agree within a couple of minutes.
- Long deep-work sessions (90+ min)? The 1/5 rule gives you a longer rest (18–24 minutes), which many people need after two hours. The sliding scale stops at about 15.
- Don't want to think about it? Let a timer do the maths. Start the Flow mode in the FlowTime app, press Take my break when you're done, and it counts your break down for you.
How to take a good break
Whichever length you use, the break works best if you actually switch off from the task: stand up, get water, look out of a window or walk. Scrolling your phone tends to keep your attention busy. For ideas, see the break timer page, and compare this with Pomodoro's fixed rests in how long a Pomodoro break should be.