Take a Break Reminder (TaBR) : Protect your Health from Long-Term Computer Work

The Take a Break Reminder application was developed to be an easy-to-use software that allows you to customize the duration of your work and the number and length of breaks.

[ Detailed Description ]

Take a Break Reminder can help to prevent or cure headaches, eye problems, aches in your back and hands, and other health issues related to long-term computer work by compelling you to take regular, short breaks.

The default settings of Take a Break Reminder provide complete protection for your health. However, you may want to adjust them to optimize Take a Break Reminder performance or disable options that do not apply. You can change durations of work and breaks, options for your protection, and many others as needed in your work environment.

By default, Take a Break Reminder starts automatically at Windows startup. After Take a Break Reminder starts, its icon appears in the notification area (sometimes called the “system tray”) at the far right end of the taskbar. (The notification area may also include icons for other notifications and the system clock.) Right-click the Take a Break Reminder icon to pop up a menu that contains choices for managing Take a Break Reminder.

At any time you can find how much time remains prior to the beginning a Break or MicroPause. Move the mouse cursor over the Take a Break Reminder icon in the notification area to display pop-up text providing information about the current state Take a Break Reminder. It will tell you how many hours, minutes, and seconds remain until the next scheduled Break or MicroPause.

Take a Break Reminder will warn you about an approaching break. In “Break” mode the warning appears at 3 minutes and again at 1 minute before the break. In “MicroPause” mode it appears 1 minute prior to the break. This will allow you to save your work and to be prepared for a break.

[ Key Features ]

1. 3 rest modes:

• Breaks and micropauses
• Breaks only
• Micropauses only

2. Possible to configure work/rest time intervals:

• * For a break:
• * For a micropause:

3. Warnings of upcoming breaks and micropauses:

• For a break, 3 minutes and 1 minute prior to the beginning of the break
• For a micropause, 1 minute prior to the beginning of the micropause

4. 5 security levels.

5. Forced interruption of computer work at a time set by the user

6. Flexible configuration of parameters to satisfy of any user

7. Option to start UsefulRest at Windows startup

8. Restriction of access to other programs during breaks and micropauses

9. Screen background during a break and micropause can be either black or translucent

10. Break or micropause can be interrupted with a password at some security levels

11. Option to begin a break immediately at any time outside of scheduled times

12. Option to disconnect a dial-up (phone line and modem) Internet connection before a break. No need to worry about unnecessarily remaining online during a break or micropause.

13. Choice of sounds:

• For first notification before a break
• For last notification before a break or micropause
• For the beginning of a break or micropause
• For ending a break or micropause
• During a break
• During a micropause

14. Turn on/off each sound individually or all simultaneously

15. Choice of picture (if any) displayed during a break or micropause

16. Option to turn on or off this picture

17. Option to set the supervisor password to change software settings

18. Option to set the password for the premature termination of a break

19. Option to turn on/off warnings about upcoming breaks

20. Option to save all user-configured settings and restore them as needed

21. Detailed help system

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