For desk days

Screens all day, back-to-back calls, a to-do list that never shrinks. Here are short, free tools that fit between the work, and what the research honestly says about each.

Too much to do: pick one thing

Unfinished tasks tend to keep coming back into your head. In lab experiments, making a specific plan for an unfinished goal stopped those stray thoughts, even before the task was done (Masicampo & Baumeister, 2011 (opens in a new tab)). The brain dump gets the list out of your head, helps you pick one task, and starts a short timer on its first step. If it's worries rather than tasks, try worry parking.

Rest your eyes

Digital eye strain is common: a review puts it at 50% or more of computer users, with tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. The American Optometric Association promotes the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), and frequent short breaks can relax the eye's focusing effort. It's a recommendation rather than a tested treatment (Sheppard & Wolffsohn, 2018 (opens in a new tab)). Ophthalmologists say screens don't permanently damage your eyes, but we blink less while using them, so blink often and look into the distance (American Academy of Ophthalmology (opens in a new tab)). Try the eye rest break, or let the session planner remind you.

Take the break, then move

Short breaks give a small boost to energy and a small drop in fatigue, though they didn't clearly change how well people worked (Albulescu et al., 2022 (opens in a new tab)). The NHS says adults should do strengthening activities on at least two days a week, and exercises using your own body weight count. Talk to your GP first if you haven't exercised for a while or have health concerns (NHS (opens in a new tab)). The World Health Organization says any amount of activity is better than none (WHO (opens in a new tab)). At a desk: typing hands and wrists, neck and shoulders, or strength at work (chair squats, desk push-ups, a wall sit).

Between meetings: slow down

Across randomised trials, breathwork gave small-to-moderate drops in self-reported stress and anxiety, though the evidence is limited (Fincham et al., 2023 (opens in a new tab)). Two minutes of the physiological sigh fits between calls. If you carry tension in your shoulders and jaw, tense and release has a quiet seated version for the office. A 2024 review of 46 studies found this kind of muscle relaxation reduced stress, anxiety and low mood, though most studies were of patients and health workers, results were less clear in general adult groups, and the authors call for more research with ordinary working people (Muhammad Khir et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab)).

When it's more than a long day

The US National Institute of Mental Health says that if stress or anxiety won't go away, it may be time to talk to a professional (NIMH (opens in a new tab)). If you need someone now, find free, confidential helplines.

The tools

• Brain dumpToo much to do? Get it all out of your head, pick one thing, and start it for ten minutes.
• Movement breakPush, stretch or shake it out, or a desk break for eyes, hands and neck. Two to three minutes, step by step.
• Quick strengthTwo to five minutes of bodyweight strength: at home, at work, or up the stairs. Step by step.
• Breathing pacerFollow the shape. Slow your breathing, settle your hands.
• Tense and releaseSqueeze, then let go, one body part at a time. Works at a desk.
• Worry parkingWrite the worries down, sort them, and park them until a set time.
• Calm soundsZen bells, gongs, chimes and waves to settle your mind, or brown noise to cover the noise around you.
• Visual timerWatch the time shrink away. No numbers needed.

All free, with no sign-up, no cookies and no ads, so they're fine on a work laptop. They work offline: add the site to your home screen or desktop. Press / or Ctrl+K on any page to search the tools.