People with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) performing computer work for 4+ hours/day should take microbreaks every hour to reduce their symptoms. Unlike apps and notifications, tangible user interfaces offer the opportunity to provide non-focus-demanding and calm break-reminders in users’ periphery. This paper explores this design space to identify the design parameters of break-reminders as everyday things. First, we discuss and analyze our initial co-designing study, where 11 participants with RSI created 9 low-fidelity prototypes. Then, we present our results-led high-fidelity prototypes and demonstrate the use of the findings in directing the design decisions of the technical implementation. Finally, we take our designs back to users in a second study to gain deeper insight on their reflection on physical break reminders. Results show how users designed for calmness and ubiquity in their everyday environment, playful user engagement and emotional shape-shifting among other design qualities.