As our workdays become more hectic and demanding, it’s important to take regular breaks to recharge our batteries and maintain efficiency. Studies have shown that work breaks can have a significant impact on workers’ well-being and productivity. By taking periodic breaks, individuals can sharpen their concentration and enhance their ability to complete tasks efficiently. Additionally, pausing work can offer a fresh perspective on their job and renewed motivation to tackle assignments head-on.
Beyond the mental benefits, taking breaks can also promote physical health, especially for those who spend extended periods sitting. Prolonged sitting has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Fortunately, there are a variety of work break reminder apps available that can help you stay on top of your breaks and optimize your workday. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top work break reminder apps on the market today and how they can help you stay focused, energized and productive throughout your workday.
Stretchly: The free work break reminder app that doubles as a Pomodoro timer
Stretchly’s break reminder (Image courtesy of Strechly)
Stretchly, a free desktop app, is here to remind you of the importance of work-life balance by taking regular breaks throughout your workday. Its customizable features allow users to personalize their schedules for short and long breaks, making it a valuable tool for those who prioritize both productivity and self-care. Moreover, it also doubles as a Pomodoro timer, a productivity technique that breaks work into focused intervals to improve efficiency.
Stretchly sends pop-up notifications 30 seconds before a scheduled break and ten seconds before a microbreak. The app’s recommended length of a microbreak is 20 seconds, but users can customize its length according to their needs.
Users can skip breaks if needed, but it also comes with a strict mode feature to ensure users stick to their break schedule, preventing the temptation to skip breaks or finish them early. Overall, Stretchly is a useful tool for anyone who wants to prioritize their health and well-being while maintaining productivity.
Available on: Windows, Mac and Linux
Stand Up: The free app that promotes movement and well-being
Stand Up’s interface (Image courtesy of Raised Square)
In a world where sedentary work is the norm, it’s essential to prioritize regular movement. Enter Stand Up, a free app designed to help individuals break up prolonged sitting by providing timely reminders to stand up and move around periodically throughout the workday. As mentioned earlier, extended periods of sitting can contribute to health problems. By prompting users to take breaks from prolonged sitting, the app can help reduce these health risks and improve overall well-being.
The smartphone app allows users to customize reminders to prompt users to stand up at intervals of their choice. Users can also select the duration of each break, ranging from one minute to longer periods, and set personalized messages to remind them to stand and sit. When alerted, you can confirm or postpone the reminder. The app’s non-intrusive alarm provides a quick ping, allowing users to maintain focus while still promoting healthy habits.
Stand Up respects users’ privacy by using location services only to give reminders during office hours. This feature ensures that users can enjoy their personal space outside of work without unnecessary interruptions. Overall, Stand Up is an excellent tool for individuals who want to prioritize movement and well-being while working.
Available on: App Store
Workrave: The break reminder app that also helps you avoid overworking
Workrave’s interface (Image courtesy of Workrave)
If you spend long hours working in front of a computer, then Workrave could be an essential tool to add to your productivity arsenal. Workrave is a free open-source desktop tool designed to help you avoid repetitive strain injury (RSI), a type of injury caused by repetitive movements or overuse of a particular muscle group.
With Workrave, you can customize three kinds of breaks—microbreaks, rest breaks and a daily workday limit. Microbreaks are short breaks to remind you to stretch and look away from the screen, while rest breaks are longer breaks set to ten minutes by default. The daily work limit feature aims to remind users to avoid overworking themselves, making it a valuable tool for promoting healthy habits in the workplace.
Whenever one of these breaks is triggered, Workrave displays a customizable pop-up window to remind you to take a break. If you find the break timer window distracting, you can skip or postpone it temporarily, but clicking skip will restart the rest break timer. Workrave also has a block mode feature, which can automatically block keyboard input or both keyboard input and screen during break time. It’s a helpful way to encourage users to take breaks and avoid prolonged sitting, but it can be disabled using the ‘No Block’ option.
Available on: Windows and Linux
BreakTimer: The free open-source software for healthier work habits
BreakTimer’s popup reminder (Image courtesy of BreakTimer)
BreakTimer is a free open-source software that helps you keep track of the time you spend working on your computer and reminds you to take breaks to promote healthier work habits. Initially created by Tom Watson to meet his personal needs, the program is now available for free to the public. With the BreakTimer app, users can say goodbye to overworking and burnout and hello to healthier work habits.
The app offers two types of breaks: microbreaks to relax your eyes and wrists and full breaks to refresh your mind and body. Users can easily manage their schedules by setting the frequency and duration of their breaks. They can customize their experience by selecting app colors and personalizing message content to create a tailor-made environment. The program also features an idle reboot function that automatically restarts the countdown when it detects inactivity, ensuring users take breaks at appropriate intervals.
Available on: Windows, Mac and Linux
Overall, taking regular breaks is crucial to avoid burnout and sustain productivity levels. Work break reminder apps can prove to be an extremely valuable asset in this regard. The apps discussed in this article gained popularity for their customization options, break reminders and even tips for break activities. With these tools at our disposal, we can work smarter, not harder, and improve our overall productivity and well-being.
Also read:
- What Is Productivity Paranoia and Can It Be Helpful for Us?
- Popular Anonymous Workplace Apps You Should Check Out
- 4 Must-Have Apps For Keeping Track of Your Reading Progress
- 5 Digital Declutter Tips to Stay Organized and Productive at Work
Header image courtesy of Pexels
