Here are the tools I’ve use to help balance my physical and mental health when I need to use a computer for long hours.
Eye breaks
Timers that help you rest your eyes, prompting you to get up and stretch, look away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.
- Glance (Mac app)
- Intermission (Mac app) — offers customized break screen messages
Time management
- Setting a schedule for the computer to go to sleep
- Pomodoro technique - set a timer for 25 minutes of focused work, then take a 5 minute break, then return for another work period.
- I’m partial to 45/15 or 40/20 for deeper work periods with longer breaks to walk or stretch or chat with someone.
- I often use it as part of Toggl for time tracking, which has a Pomodoro mode.
The key with these, like anything, is to really do it. It can be very easy to start habitually ignoring eye break reminders, or a daily wind-down schedule.
The best tools for my experience have allowed a “snooze” button, so I can keep with the flow of a project for a few more minutes to wrap up, but still have the health reminder come back.