## Story 002: Take a structured break

**Persona:** Priya, 34, a product manager who uses pomodoros to stay sharp across back-to-back meetings. She's skeptical of apps but willing if they actually help.

**Situation:**

Priya just finished a 25-minute session. She's wired and tempted to keep working. The app tells her to break. She needs permission to actually stop.

**Need:**

As Priya, I want the app to automatically start a 5-minute break timer after a session ends, so that I'm not tempted to skip rest and I can trust that I'm taking care of myself.

**Acceptance:**
- When a session ends, the app automatically transitions to a 5-minute break timer
- The break timer is visually distinct from the session timer (different color, icon, or layout)
- Priya can skip the break if she chooses, but the app makes skipping a deliberate action, not a default
- When the break ends, the app signals clearly and returns to the home screen ready for the next session

**Tier:** core

**Confusion-flags:**
- Is the break timer mandatory or optional? I wrote 'automatically start' but then said she can skip. That's the real user need — permission to rest that she can choose to honor or override. I'm not sure the app should enforce it.
- What does 'distinct' mean in UI terms? That's the Cat's job, not mine. But I want to flag that the break needs to feel separate enough that it doesn't blur into the session.
