Focus Timers & Screen Breaks
A menu-bar Pomodoro timer and a 20-20-20 eye-break reminder — two small tools for one long workday
Focus timers and screen-break reminders solve two related but different problems: staying on task, and not straining your eyes while you do it. Cairnbar handles the first with a menu-bar countdown — either an ad-hoc Quick Timer for any task, or the classic Pomodoro cycle (25 minutes of work, then a short break, repeating), visible as text in the menu bar without a window to manage. Glance Away handles the second, built around the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, a guideline commonly recommended by ophthalmologists for reducing digital eye strain during long screen sessions.
The app
Glance Away
Glance Away helps you remember to step away from your screen — fast to start, zero setup, works entirely offline. Set an interval (5–60 min…
Cairnbar
Cairnbar is a focus timer that actually lives in your Mac's menu bar — no dock window to manage, no account to create. Pick a duration, watc…
How it compares to other tools
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
A time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s: work in focused 25-minute intervals ('pomodoros'), each followed by a short break, with a longer break after every four intervals. The structure is meant to make long tasks feel more approachable and to build in regular rest rather than working until burnout.
What is the 20-20-20 rule for eye strain?
A commonly recommended guideline for reducing digital eye strain during screen-heavy work: every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. The idea is to periodically relax the eye's focusing muscles, which stay contracted for near-distance screen work.
Why use a menu-bar timer instead of a full app window?
A menu-bar timer stays visible without taking up screen space or requiring you to switch windows to check remaining time — you glance at the menu bar text the same way you'd glance at the system clock, without breaking whatever you're focused on.