5 Minute Break is a small software application whose purpose is to remind you to take a five-minute break away from your computer. Taking regular breaks can help you prevent all sorts of diseases.

The program can be controlled from your system tray. You can perform a single click on its icon in order to activate or disable the timer. A red icon lets you know that the alarm is on, while the blue color signals that the alarm is off.

The notification messages are displayed in full screen mode and include a timer that shows for how many minutes you need to take a break. When the break is over, the timer starts counting up. You are given the option to close the timer and get back to work anytime during the break.

5 Minute Break offers you the possibility to trigger the alarm at predefined time intervals, like from five minutes up to four hours. A popup notification is displayed after you set the alarm.

What’s more, you can set a default timer, choose between two predefined audio notifications or mute the sound, as well as run the utility at Windows startup.

Tests have revealed that the application executes tasks very quickly and without errors. It is not a resource hog so you can keep it running in the background without worrying that it affects the overall performance of the computer.

5 Minute Break does not provide an easy way for helping you alter the message displayed during the break and configure custom audio notifications. In order to change the alarm sound, customize the message, and increase/decrease the countdown timer, you need to manually locate the program in your system, edit an HTML file and JavaScript variable, and overwrite the preset MP3 file with a custom one.

All in all, 5 Minute Break is not the most rich-featured alarm utility on the market but it wins some extra credits for its straightforward configuration settings. A portable version of the program, so-called Portable 5 Minute Break, is available for download in case you want to avoid installing the utility on your computer.