LookAway For Mac

Spending hours in front of a computer monitor every day can take its toll on your eyes, which aren’t really built for it. Taking regular breaks is recommended, but it’s also something you easily forget when you’re concentrating on your work or having fun.

LookAway is a break reminder similar to many others, but it’s a bit more approachable, customizable, and easier to live with. It allows you more flexibility when it comes to taking your breaks, and it even gives you a heads-up so you can finish anything important.

At first launch, you’ll have to set the length of your focus and break periods, which can be customized later. The focus timer will begin, and the app will be sent to the menu bar, where you can check on it and change your settings.

When a break is due, a message will pop up on your screen and cover your desktop. You’ll be prompted to look away and rest your eyes for a bit, but you can also just skip the break if you wish. Optionally, a notification can alert you that a break is coming up to make sure it doesn’t interrupt anything.

When the break ends, the app can play a soft chime to let you know, which is useful if you’ve gotten up from your desk.

If you’re idle for more than one minute, the timer will be paused. If idle time exceeds five minutes, the timer is completely reset, and you’ll start a new focus period when you get back to work.

Finally, if you’re in a meeting or call, the app will be paused completely, as you wouldn’t want an important meeting to be interrupted at any point.

There are many break reminders out there, and they can all fall into the trap of either being too intrusive or not intrusive enough. I think LookAway toes the like perfectly, as it gives you a gentle nudge when a break is required without actually forcing it on you. It’s also very intuitive, and every aspect of its functionality can be tweaked to your liking.