Break Reminders

Break reminders in Super Productivity prompt you to step away from work after you have been working for a configured amount of time without a break. They are tied to actual time tracking—only time when a task is actively being tracked counts toward the threshold—so the reminder reflects real work time, not just elapsed clock time. The feature exists because cognitive fatigue is often invisible, voluntary breaks are easy to skip, and long-term productivity and physical health benefit from regular pauses. Understanding what triggers break reminders, how they relate to time tracking and Focus Mode, and how you can configure or soften them helps you use them effectively.

For how time is logged when you track a task, see [[4.14-How-Time-Is-Logged]]. For Focus Mode’s built-in breaks (e.g. Pomodoro), see [[4.15-Timers-and-Focus-Mode]]. Break reminder settings are in [[3.02-Settings-and-Preferences]].

What Conditions Trigger Break Reminders?

A break reminder is shown only when all of the following are true:

1. The feature is enabled — Break reminders can be turned off entirely in settings.
2. Minimum work time exceeded — The time you have spent working without a break (see below) is greater than the configured minimum (default: 60 minutes). You can set a longer interval (e.g. 2 hours) if you do long deep-work sessions.
3. Not snoozed — You have not recently snoozed the reminder; once you snooze, the reminder stays hidden for the snooze duration (default: 15 minutes).
4. No idle dialog — The idle-time dialog is not currently open, so the app does not show two overlapping interruptions.

When these conditions are met, the app shows a banner (and optionally a desktop notification, sound, or stronger enforcement—see below). The banner can update periodically (e.g. every minute) to reflect how long you’ve been working; desktop notifications are throttled (e.g. once per minute) to avoid notification fatigue.

How “Time Working Without a Break” Is Counted

The break-reminder timer is reset to zero when:

• You mark time as a break — For example when you use the idle dialog and assign idle time to “break,” or when you otherwise record a break. The system then assumes you took a break and starts counting work time again from zero.
• You dismiss the reminder with “Already Did” — You tell the app you already took a break. The timer resets and the app can add a short break (e.g. 5 minutes) to your break-time metrics, encouraging you to have actually stepped away rather than only dismissing.
• No active task for a while — If idle tracking is disabled, the timer can reset after a period (e.g. 10 minutes) with no task being tracked, on the assumption you may have stepped away.
• Idle time counted as break — If idle detection is enabled and you return from being idle and assign that time to a break, the break-reminder timer resets so you are not reminded again immediately.

Only time when a task is actively being tracked (or time you manually add as “work” in certain flows) counts toward the threshold. Passive time—e.g. the app open but no task running—does not count. So the reminder is driven by actual tracked work, not by a simple wall-clock timer.

How Reminder Intervals Are Configured

Two main time intervals are configurable:

• Minimum working time — How long you must work (with a task tracked) before the first reminder appears. Default is often 1 hour; you can increase it for longer focus blocks or decrease it for more frequent nudges.
• Snooze time — How long the reminder stays hidden after you snooze. Default is often 15 minutes; after that, if you’re still over the minimum work time, the reminder can show again.

You set these in the settings UI (duration inputs). The reminder message can also be customized; you can use a placeholder (e.g. ${duration}) that the app replaces with how long you’ve been working. Optional motivational images can be shown with the notification to make the nudge more personal.

Why Breaks Are Explicitly Supported

The app’s default message sums up the rationale: you’ve been working for a certain time without a break; stepping away (e.g. a short walk) supports long-term productivity. The feature exists because:

1. Cognitive fatigue is non-linear — You often don’t notice when you become less effective; a nudge helps.
2. Voluntary breaks are easy to skip — When focused, “just one more thing” can stretch indefinitely; a reminder creates a clear boundary.
3. Physical health — Prolonged sitting and screen time benefit from regular interruption; the app can’t force you, but it can remind.
4. Future vs present — The benefits of breaks are partly in the future (health, sustained performance); reminders make that trade-off visible.

The design is non-punitive: you can snooze or dismiss with “Already Did.” For users who want stronger boundaries, the app offers escalating options on the desktop (Electron) only: lock screen and fullscreen blocker (with a configurable duration). You choose how strong the nudge is—from a gentle banner to a forced pause.

How Break Reminders Fit Long Sessions and Sustainability

Break reminders support sustainable long sessions by:

• Accumulating work time across the day — The timer builds up over multiple work blocks; it doesn’t reset at noon or at session boundaries unless one of the reset conditions above applies.
• Configurable thresholds — You can set a longer minimum (e.g. 2 hours) so deep-work blocks are not interrupted too soon.
• Respecting agency — Snooze and “Already Did” let you decide when to take the break while keeping the reminder in mind.
• Break time metrics — When you acknowledge breaks (e.g. “Already Did”), the app can record break time so you see that you did step away. The 5-minute credit for “Already Did” is an incentive to take a real short break rather than only dismissing.

So break reminders are both a safety net (don’t work for hours without a pause) and a configurable tool you can tune to your style.

Trade-offs: Uninterrupted Focus Vs Enforced Breaks

The app balances preserving focus and encouraging breaks:

To preserve focus:

• The reminder does not show while the idle dialog is open (avoids double interruption).
• Desktop notifications are throttled so you are not spammed.
• Snooze lets you postpone during critical moments.
• Configurable minimum lets you set longer intervals for deep work.

To enforce breaks (optional, desktop only):

• Lock screen — The app can lock the screen until you acknowledge.
• Fullscreen blocker — A fullscreen overlay for a set duration.
• Window focus — Bring the app to the front so you see the reminder.
• Sound — An alert that can break through concentration.

You choose the balance in settings: from a soft banner to a hard stop.

How Break Reminders Relate to Focus Mode

Break reminders and Focus Mode (e.g. Pomodoro) are separate systems that can run at the same time:

Break reminders:

• Use accumulated work time across the whole day (from task tracking).
• Trigger at a configurable interval (e.g. 1 hour).
• Emphasize physical health and sustained productivity.
• You can always snooze or dismiss; they are interruptible.

Focus Mode breaks:

• Are part of Pomodoro-style cycles (e.g. 25 min work, 5 min break, long break every 4 cycles).
• Have automatic session/break transitions.
• Can pause task tracking during the break if you enable that option.
• Breaks can start automatically or manually depending on settings.

Focus Mode breaks do not reset the break-reminder timer by default. So if you do a Pomodoro break, the “time working without a break” counter for break reminders keeps counting from before that break—unless you also mark that time as a break in the break-reminder sense (e.g. via idle dialog or “Already Did”). If you want Pomodoro breaks to count as “real” breaks for the reminder, you can use “Already Did” after a Pomodoro break or track idle as break when you step away.

Together, the two systems support both structured work (Focus Mode) and a safety net when you work without Focus Mode or beyond a single Pomodoro block.

Idle Integration

If idle detection is enabled and you assign idle time to a break when you return, the break-reminder timer resets. That avoids being reminded to take a break right after you’ve already been away (and counted that time as a break). See [[4.17-Idle-Time]] for how idle detection and the reassign dialog work.

Summary

• Break reminders trigger when the feature is on, tracked work time exceeds the minimum, you haven’t snoozed, and the idle dialog isn’t open.
• Only time with a task being tracked (and certain manual work time) counts; the timer resets when you take or acknowledge a break (or after no task for a while if idle tracking is off).
• You configure minimum work time and snooze time; you can customize the message and add images.
• The feature exists to support sustainable productivity and health; optional lock screen and fullscreen blocker (desktop only) allow stronger enforcement.
• Break reminders are independent of Focus Mode; both can run together, and you can tune how much they interact (e.g. by using “Already Did” after Focus Mode breaks).

Related

• [[4.14-How-Time-Is-Logged]] — How task time tracking works (break reminder counts this time)
• [[4.15-Timers-and-Focus-Mode]] — Focus Mode breaks vs break reminders
• [[4.17-Idle-Time]] — How assigning idle time to a break resets the break-reminder timer
• [[3.02-Settings-and-Preferences]] — Enable/disable, minimum time, snooze, message, lock screen, fullscreen blocker