Take a Break

A simple focus timer.

Take a Break is a small native Mac app built with SwiftUI and AppKit: one countdown session (default 25 minutes), play and pause, reset, a notification and system beep when time is up, plus circular progress in the menu bar and on the Dock tile. It started as a learning project. Useful day to day, but not pitched as a heavyweight productivity suite.

Only the timer length is saved between launches; streak dots and running state are session-only so each open feels lightweight.

Timer window

A compact window shows large MM:SS digits, start/stop, and a light streak display (dots through each five-break cycle and hearts for every three completed breaks). The chrome stays minimal so the timer stays readable at a glance.

Menu bar and Dock

The menu bar item mirrors progress and focuses the main window when clicked. The Dock icon draws the same progress arc so you can peek without raising the window.

Shortcuts

• Space: start or pause when the main window has focus.
• ⌘R: reset timer.
• ⌘,: Preferences (duration in minutes).

Notifications

The app asks for notification permission when you first use the main UI so it can surface a "Break Time!" alert when a session completes.

Privacy

No Yakshaven analytics. Notifications follow Apple's permission model. See the Privacy Policy.

Licensing

The source ships under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 (non-commercial). Anything commercial would need a different license first.

Requirements

macOS 15.1 or later (per current Xcode deployment target).

Availability

Not distributed yet. Store listing or download link will go here when/if it graduates from the workshop bench.