The productivity and wellbeing benefits of taking regular breaks throughout the workday are well documented, though many workers still struggle to make time for them amid packed schedules. To encourage employees to take more frequent and effective breaks, Microsoft has turned to Breakthru, a workplace app that integrates into existing platforms like Teams and Slack.

The app plays two-minute videos that combine colorful animation inspired by nature, soothing background music, and movement prompts,such as swinging your arms in a circle or lifting your hands above your head. As the immersive video plays, “you're now thinking about the movement you're following, you're looking at the really cool graphics it has, and you're hearing the sound too. That makes it really hard for you to think about your whole to-do list,” says Julie Krause, director of global wellness at Microsoft.

Since Microsoft introduced the app in 2020, the number of regular users within the tech company has grown to around 11,000 across 68 countries, and her team has encouraged even more usage through organization-wide wellness challenges. Users can set up an individual or group challenge, and the app will send a notification to selected participants reminding them to take their daily two-minute break.

What's next:

Currently, Krause’s team is piloting an in-person Breakthru Experience at Microsoft’s corporate campus using speakers and projectors installed in special breakrooms. “That whole scene you see is on all the walls and above you,” she explains. “It’s giving these teams who are doing some really intense work the ability to go into that room for five or 10 minutes and immerse themselves in something else.” User feedback has hovered around a nine or 10 out of 10, and typical usage time has been 10-15 minutes per session. More importantly, says Krause, “they're finding that room does really impact how they're feeling, which is good because that's the point. Sometimes the work we're doing gets a little rough…and you just need a break.”

What to do:

Add Breakthru to Slack or Teams. If you’re not able to add apps to your internal messaging platform, try setting a reminder in a team calendar or communications channel to go on a walk, take a stretch break, or do a quick mindfulness meditation.