Break rhythm: active time and breaks in turn.

Screen work should be interrupted regularly

The German Workplaces Ordinance requires employers to ensure that work at screens is interrupted, in particular by other tasks or regular recovery breaks (Annex No. 6.1(2) ArbStättV).

DGUV Information 215-410 explains this as mixed work: tasks with different demands alternate. Where that is not possible, regular short recovery breaks interrupt the screen work. According to DGUV, their best timing and length depend on the specific task.

Legal information as of 20 October 2026, without guarantee. This is a summary of German law; the wording of the law applies.

Several short breaks instead of a few long ones

DGUV writes that several shorter recovery breaks have a greater recovery effect than a few longer ones of the same total length. A fixed rhythm of active time and breaks puts this into practice in everyday life, outside the office too, for example when revising or doing housework.

Statutory breaks during working hours are set separately in § 4 of the German Working Hours Act. More on this in the guide Breaks in shift work.

How the break rhythm works in mypacing

• You set active time, break time and the number of rounds yourself.
• The app shows the total length and roughly what time the rhythm will end.
• With your permission, a notification reminds you at each change, in the apps also in the background. If you like, your phone vibrates at each change.
• In the browser, the timer runs while the tab is open.
• You can pause, skip a phase or stop the rhythm.

The example split in the app is not a recommendation. You decide which times suit your day.

Three example settings

• Office: 50 minutes of screen work, 5 minutes of break, four rounds in the morning.
• Revision: 25 minutes of revision, 5 minutes of break, four rounds per block.
• Household and family: 20 minutes of errands, 10 minutes of break, three rounds in the afternoon.

These are examples of how to use the timer, not reference values. Which split suits you becomes clear over time.

Sources

All information on this page is based on legal texts, public authorities and manufacturers’ documentation. Most sources are in German. The description of mypacing features reflects the app as of 20 October 2026.

• Anhang zur Arbeitsstättenverordnung, Nr. 6.1, Bundesministerium der Justiz. Accessed 20 October 2026.
• DGUV Information 215-410 „Bildschirm- und Büroarbeitsplätze“ (PDF), Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, bereitgestellt von der Unfallkasse NRW. Accessed 20 October 2026.
• § 4 Arbeitszeitgesetz (Ruhepausen), Bundesministerium der Justiz. Accessed 20 October 2026.

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