If you don’t want an intrusive break reminder that pops up on the screen, surprises you, or becomes an annoyance, you need Awareness. One of the more interesting options in Break Timer is the ability to set a beginning and end of the workday so that alerts will only appear when you’re on the clock. Like other timer apps, Break Timer allows you to customize the length of your work and break periods. It works both in Chrome browsers on standard operating systems and in Chrome OS as well. This timer functions as a Chrome addon and is available in the Chrome Web Store. If you want simple you can’t get much more basic (yet effective) than this. TomatoTimer allows customization of audio alerts, length of work/break times, and other essential settings.

You can feel free to check out all the different Pomodoro apps to find one you like, but TomatoTimer may be the easiest to use: It’s a web app that doesn’t require any installation and will work across platforms. SEE: New user education checklist (Tech Pro Research) There are numerous apps that use the Pomodoro technique, which breaks work sessions into 25 minutes of intense focus broken by five-minute breaks and one 10-minute break every hour. It’s a highly customizable platform perfect for those looking to be better about using their Mac. Time Out provides a lot of usage information too–it shows how long you spend in each app, when you took breaks, and shows when scheduled breaks are due. It comes with two kinds of breaks by default: A 10-minute one that will pop up once an hour, and a 15-second one that alerts you every 15 minutes and reminds you not to tense up or sit in a poor position. Time Out allows you to customize how often breaks happen, how long they are, and more. Time Out is a macOS exclusive, and it’s one of the more popular apps for break management out there. With major tech companies like Apple and Google now all in on using their devices to help create healthier lifestyles it’s time to revisit apps that help us improve our computer use habits. When this article was initially published in 2015 it listed five desktop apps for Windows, Linux, and macOS that reminded users to take breaks, stretch, and stay healthy. TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits and research for download Organizations are far more likely to realize value from AI when their workers do Must-read CXO coverageĭeloitte: The top tech trends on the horizon We’re all guilty of sitting in one position for too long, not getting up to stretch, and ending up sore, strained, and fatigued because of it.

Working too long without taking a break can have a toll on your mental, and physical, health.

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