Take Breaks From Work With the Mac Time Out App
macOS: I’m busy. Are you busy. We’re all busy. Sometimes the sheer amount of crap you have to deal with can seem overwhelming, but a good way to get control of your chaotic to-do list without going crazy is to make sure you have enough downtime.
We haven’t talked about the macOS Time Out app for over a decade , but it’s a great way to make sure you encourage yourself to take regular breaks throughout the day — whether it’s “sit and do nothing,” “It’s time to get up,” or “Time to play a quick playing Fortnite. ” You shouldheal yourself regularly, and Time Out will help you keep that promise.
How to set up Time Out
When you first launch the app, Time Out offers two different types of breaks that you should consider doing during the day. The first, “normal” break is your typical “do nothing for 10 minutes every hour” routine. Start Metafilter. Play your favorite music. If you work in a rather hectic environment and feel guilty about not doing anything at your desk, this might be the right time to refill your coffee / water / soul (or sneak out for fake poop, which is not even the most busy worker bees would venture to ask).
Time Out also invites you to try MicroBreaks, or quick 15-second bursts every 15 minutes, things you would use to remind yourself not to slouch in your chair, turn away from your monitor and freshen your eyes a little, or just stand up. It feels great standing up .
You can change these intervals to whatever you want, so get creative if the Time Out suggestions don’t fit your work day. As the installation process continues, Time Out will ask you if you want it to try to detect when you are not at your computer – for example, if you are not typing on it – so that it can suggest that you are taking a break instead of invite you to do so at specified times.
The app will drop you off at the last configuration screen where you can set all sorts of options, including using the built-in snooze function to snooze the break for any number of minutes, whether you want a countdown for your breaks to show up in the menu bar macOS, and whether you want the app to skip breaks if you’re squatting in a particular app – like when you’re editing a video.
When the break comes, the giant tropical app logo image will disappear on top of whatever you’re working on. The break timer then starts, although you can also postpone the break for two different periods of time, or skip it altogether. Once the timer expires, the icon disappears and you are back to work (high).