This Mac app reminds you to take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 ft (6 m) away. Taking breaks this often preserves your eyes from strain. No eye strain means no eye-related problems (dry/irritated eyes, blurred vision, fatigue, headache), which can appear because of focusing on a computer screen for too long. Time Out is a free Mac OS X app to prevent you from over-straining yourself in front of the computer. It reminds you to take a break on a regular basis by dimming your computer’s screen and displaying how long the break should be taking. You can preset the break as ‘Normal’ which is a longer break or ‘Micro’, a short brief pause.
From neck pain to eye strain or even RSI, a sedentary lifestyle at work can lead to a lot of health problems. But reminding yourself to get up from your seat and take a break, isn’t that easy either. One way to fix this problem is to get a smartwatch like Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch or even a cheap fitness band like Mi Band. these are programmed to automatically remind you, to get up and start moving, if you are sitting in one place for too long.
https://powerupwashington722.weebly.com/mcafee-for-android-free-download.html. But guess what, even if you don’t own a fitness band or a smartwatch, you can still download a third-party app on your computer or smartphone, that will remind you to take 5-10 minutes to break, every hour or so. That being said, let’s check out the best apps to remind you to move at work.
Taking Break isn’t Enough
There are three major factors which lead to body strain from a desk job
- You haven’t moved from your desk in hours
- Your eyes are glued to the monitor for long durations
- Your posture is bad
So, to fix this, we’ll suggest apps that not only give you a reminder to take a break at work but also suggest some light exercise and block the blue light coming out of your devices. Let’s begin.
Also read: 8 Best Workout Apps to use without Gym Equipments
Apps to Remind You to Move At Work
1. WorkRave for Windows
WorkRave is a simple application that reminds you to take a break on your computer. Once installed, the application shows you a notification every few minutes reminding you to take a short breather of 30 seconds. It is called a microbreak. After every 45 minutes, the application reminds you to take a longer break of 10 minutes. This combination of breaks ensures you get sufficient time to stretch your body without moving away from your desk. It shows a popup with the exercise animations so that you can follow the steps properly.
Of course, you can customize the ‘break time’ from the Settings. There are different modes like the quiet mode, reading mode, etc, you can choose a preference in the options. If you tend to ignore subtle notifications, there is also a strict mode that would block you from working and force you to take a break. WorkRave is available for Windows and Linux for free.
If you have Windows 10, you can simply activate Night Light by following these steps. Press the “Start” button, go to settings and click on System. Look for Display option and click, Turn Night Light On, and adjust settings.
Get WorkRave (Windows)
2. Stretchly for macOS
If you have a computer running on macOS, use Stretchly. It’s an open-source cross-platform app i.e. it’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Like the previous app, it reminds you to take micro and short breaks after set time intervals. It runs in the system tray by default and only notifies you when its time for a break.
The interface is rather minimal, 30 seconds before a break starts, Stretchly sends a notification to prepare you for the upcoming break. You can also choose an audio notification when the break ends. Stretchy also comes with a unique feature called Strict Mode, which once enabled won’t let you skip breaks.
The most important feature of this application is that it monitors your computer usage, and if it detects an idle time more than the break time, it automatically resets the break time. Best dvd creator for mac os x yosemite. It makes the application efficient and won’t bug you unnecessarily when you’re concentrating on your work. Stretchly is completely free and opensource, you can get it on GitHub.
Like Windows, macOS also comes with Night Shift feature built-in, which automatically changes the color of a display to a warmer temperature at night. To activate this, simply, Go to System Preferences and click on Displays option. Night Sight has its own section, you can turn it On or Off, and adjust settings.
Get Stretchly (macOS)
3. Stand Up for iOS
Even if you don’t sit in front of a computer all day, you still should stretch every once in a while. Juniper client for mac download. Stand Up is a great iOS app that sends a break reminder on your iPhone. You can set a time slot in which the app would send you a notification after every few minutes urging you to stand up. You can select days, break timing, location, and notification sound in the settings.
Another great reminder app for iOS is Desk job. Unlike Stand Up, Desk Job sends you a reminder to exercises. You can set a time interval for breaks in which you can get up from your desk to exercise.
Finally, to prevent eye strain from the blue light coming from your iPhone, you can use the native Night Shift feature. Just like macOS, all iOS device has included this feature since iOS 9.3. To enable this, go to Settings, tap Display and Brightness, and select Night Shift. Here you can turn it on, adjust the schedule automatically, or set a custom schedule.
Get Stand Up and Desk Job (iOS)
4. Randomly Remindme for Android
Randomly Remindme is a custom reminder app which not only reminds you to step away from your computer, but you can also set a reminder for anything. The biggest advantage of this app over other apps is that it can be triggered through a variety of options. You can choose random which would send notifications at random time intervals during the day so that it doesn’t get predictable. You can set triggers based on location, time, or interval based. The app is free on the Play Store.
This next Android app, Office Stretch Exercise will teach you how to make the most of the short office break and stretch effectively. Office Stretch Exercise app has a collection of exercises that you can do right from your desk. There are 8 exercises in total which aims at your shoulders and neck muscles, you can follow the instructions to complete each set. If you follow the routine regularly, it can alleviate back, shoulders, and neck strain. The app is free on the Play Store.
Like Windows and Mac, most Android smartphone also comes with a blue light filter called Night Mode. To activate it, just go to Settings > Display > Night Light. This would reduce the strain on your eyes and help you focus better. If your phone doesn’t have the feature, you can download Twilight from the Play Store.
Get Randomly Remindme and Office Stretch Exercise (Android)
Best Apps to Remind You to Move at Work
These were my picks for every platform, all of these apps help you take a break and prevent you from sitting too long. Eye strain is a very common problem and most OEMs have built-in solutions for it like the Night Shift in iOS and macOS, Night Light in Windows, and Blue Light Filter in Android. For Neck, shoulders, and back problems, apps like Office Stretch Exercise, WorkRave, and Deskjob work great. Tell us how do you keep the strain away while at work in the comments down below.
Read: Best Weight Tracker Apps to stay fit and Healthy
With 80% of American adults using digital devices for more than two hours daily, this is a real concern. As much as 67% are even using two devices at once. In turn, studies show 32% of people report experiencing eye strain, and another 27% are witnessing dry eyes, headaches, and blurred vision. So what can you do to prevent this? Here are several free apps you can use on your computer, tablet, and smartphone to reduce digital eye strain and hopefully improve your sleep too.
5 Free Apps To Reduce Digital Eye Strain and improve your sleep:
f.lux
The key to reducing eye strain is to eliminate blue light from your digital screen. Unless you purchase a physical screen or glasses, you’re going to need an app like f.lux to tint it for you.
What’s great about f.lux is that you don’t have to do much to the settings. Just set it to Recommended Colors, type in your zip code, and it’ll take care of the rest. It uses your location to determine the time of day and brightness so it can adjust the settings for you.
The app will tint your screen darker and darker as the sun sets and nears your bedtime. But don’t worry, you can still see – it’s a yellowish-orange tint. You can select your wake up time, so it’ll tint the screen appropriately so that your brain isn’t affected by the blue light.
When your eyes see blue light, your mind thinks it’s daytime. So using digital devices before bed can interrupt your circadian cycle and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
f.lux also comes with other settings you can tweak yourself. For instance, you can choose to darken the screen earlier in the day. There are also presets you can choose based on your goals.
For example, you can choose between any of the following to reduce eye strain:
- Reduce eyestrain.
- Classic f.lux.
- Working late.
- Far from the equator.
- Cave painting.
- Color fidelity.
Play around with the settings to see what works best for you.
Another upside is that it automatically detects when you’re using apps that require blue light, such as YouTube.
You can download this app to your PC, Mac, Linux, or iPhone. There’s a preview/root-only version for Android, which is getting a lot of flack about glitches. Plus, it hasn’t been updated since 2016, so we wouldn’t recommend downloading this version.
Twilight
If you’re an Android user, then you can download Twilight to your device. This is getting impressive reviews and is similar to f.lux. Its design also works to keep your circadian cycle efficient and quality of sleep existent.
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/1/134133385/355651921.jpg)
It uses your location to look up sunrise and sunset times to determine when to tint your screen. Also, you can disable it when you’re using apps like Netflix or YouTube that require good lighting to enjoy.
It comes with settings you can manipulate, such as color temperature, intensity, and screen dim. Then you can decide when you want the filter to turn on – days, time, and custom options are available. Plus, you can create schedule profiles that automatically turn on at your specified time, such as for bedtime reading, working late, and so on.
There’s also the option to pause or stop it.
Awareness
Sometimes, knowing how much screen time you’re putting into your devices can help you change your habits to reduce eye strain. Aware is an app that keeps track of how long you’re actively using your computer.
Unlike similar apps, it’s not intrusive and doesn’t lock you out after a particular time (or time limit). And it doesn’t come with an annoying alarm that can scare or interrupt others.
So how does it help you? It simply keeps track of the time you spend on your device. You can check it yourself to see if you’re over the limit you’ve set. It sits quietly in the menu bar.
Maybe it’ll motivate you to get off and spend time in the real world for 30 minutes or so. If this sounds good, then you can download it to your Mac computer.
Time Out
How to download youtube firefox mac. Maybe you’re not that disciplined and need something that can “make” you take a break. If so, Time Out is the app for you. It’s only available for Mac users and it does an excellent job of disrupting your digital sessions.
Some people may not like this, so be sure it’s not turned on when you know you need hours of focus in one block.
So how does it operate? When you activate it, it allows you to work in blocks of 50 minutes. Then once you hit the 50-minute mark, your screen is blocked for 10 minutes. A screen shows up with the app logo and a timer countdown. These mini-breaks can help ensure your eyes get proper rest.
Eye Strain Mac App Installer
There’s also the option to do micro-breaks, where the screen is blocked for 10 seconds every 10 minutes. But this may be a bit much for some.
Then it gives you reminders to correct your posture and relax your muscles.
Of course, you can disable the app at anytime (even when your screen is blocked for a time out). There are also customization features you can use to choose which apps disable Time Out so you can view them without interruption.
ProtectYourVision
Now, if you’re using a Windows computer and need something to ensure you take regular time outs, then ProtectYourVision is an optimal choice. But rather than being tied to your PC, it’s in your internet browser. It works with Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
Eye Strain Mac App Download
It comes with a default 20-20-20 plan, which you can customize to your liking. When it’s time for you to take a break, it beeps and then it blacks out your screen temporarily.
The disruption can be useful, but irritating at times. So you can choose to opt-out of the break at any time. This way, you can decide when the screen blacks out.
https://orangeskiey620.weebly.com/anquette-i-will-always-be-there-for-you-mp3-download.html. The app also provides eye exercises you can do while on your break.
Protect Your Eyes While You Work, Watch, & Play!
Eye Strain Mac Setting
No one’s ready to go cold turkey with their digital devices. So the next best thing is to find ways to reduce eye strain.
With these apps, you can ensure you’re giving your eyes the break they need while you work, watch videos, and play games. These free apps will you you to reduce digital eye strain and improve your sleep.