How long should a screen break be?

“Take regular breaks” is advice everyone agrees with and almost nobody follows. Part of the problem is that it's vague. How often? For how long? Here's a practical answer.

For your eyes: the 20-20-20 rule

Eye doctors commonly recommend the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. Staring at a screen up close reduces blinking and keeps your focusing muscles tense; a short look into the distance lets them relax.

For energy and focus: micro-breaks

A micro-break is a short pause of up to about ten minutes. A 2022 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE found that micro-breaks help people feel more energetic and less fatigued. Longer breaks become more useful the more demanding the task is.

In practice, a pause of 3 to 10 minutes every 25 to 60 minutes of screen time is a good starting point.

For scrolling: break the session early

With social feeds, the problem isn't strain but time slipping away. A break every 20 to 30 minutes works well, because it interrupts the scroll before it turns into an hour and gives you a moment to decide whether you want to continue.

A simple starting rhythm

• Social apps: 20 minutes of use, then a 5 minute break.
• Video apps: 45 minutes, then a 10 minute break.
• Games: 30 minutes, then a 5 minute break.

Adjust after a week. If you always skip the break, make it shorter. If you never reach it, make the usage time shorter.

What to do during a break

• Look out of a window or across the room.
• Stand up and stretch your neck, shoulders and wrists.
• Drink a glass of water.
• Take a few slow breaths.
• Walk to another room and back.

The one thing not to do is switch to another feed. That's not a break, just a different scroll.

Make breaks automatic

Breaks fail when you have to remember them. PawBreak sets a rhythm for each app you choose: when the time is up, a calm cat invites you to pause, and a countdown in the Dynamic Island shows when the apps open again. You set it once and the breaks simply happen.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have eye strain, headaches or pain that doesn't go away, talk to a doctor or optometrist.